The Price of Love
by Death'sFlowerGarden
Summary: Heero has been gone for quite some time and yet Relena has continued to love him. But little vacation time along with new information about the feelings of another certain gundam pilot could change everything. And what about Heero? 1xR
1. Vacation Time

Disclaimer: I don't own anything._**  
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_**The Price of Love**_

_Chapter One: Vacation Time_

Relena Peacecraft exhaled heavily. She looked up at the clock hoping to find a certain time. That certain time was four o'clock. Because four o'clock meant that it was quitting time. The time of the day she looked forward to the most. At that time she could break away from the chains of her office, the mounds upon mounds of paperwork and deadlines and go home to rest.

"Damn," she thought to herself. It was only two-fifteen. The time passed by so slowly in her cell of an office. Though there was plenty of work to do, which she used to love to sit and complete, she was worn thin from the stress of her job. It took so much time and energy that she had no life away from the office. Every night was exactly the same. Go home, remove work clothes, put on jeans and t- shirt, eat dinner (maybe), read novel, and pass out about three pages into it. It took her months to finish a good book. That was the norm for her. For the diplomat that held the peace of the earth and space in her hands, she sure didn't have a life. At least she did not a normal life for someone her age.

She had never felt her age because of her job. When she started as the Vice Foreign Minister, she was fifteen; an unheard of age to start such demanding work. Now she was twenty-four going on seventy, or so she felt anyway. There was no time for dinner with friends, talking casually on the phone, going back to school for more education, or even going to the night clubs like Dorothy did all the time. Hilde use to go out a lot too with Duo, but then they got pregnant.

There was a quiet knock on her door and she jumped out of her chair to answer it. The easiest thing to do would have just been to tell the visitor to come in, but her rear had drifted off to sleep a long time ago and she needed an excuse to wake it up.

"Hello Quatre!" She said hugging the friend who stood in her doorway.

"Relena how are you today?" Quatre asked her.

"Oh, I'm getting by I suppose, just tired all of the time."

"You need to take a vacation." He suggested.

"That would be wonderful, but I don't think I would be able to enjoy it with all of these deadlines floating around in my head." She told him, laughing in self-pity.

Quatre smiled at her.

"I'm sure you would forget about them after a few days."

"Maybe, but you and I both know there is no time for such fantasies at this point in time."

"That's really too bad. I was going to invite you to come out to my villa in the country with me for the next few days."

Her eyebrows rose slightly at the fleeting idea that maybe somehow she could break away from her job even if it was for just a few days.

"I would love to, but, my schedule is so full Quatre…"

"Not anymore." he smiled.

"Excuse me?" her head, which had absent mindedly drifted back down to the mountains of paper work, immediately jerked up. Only this morning her secretary had told her she was booked throughout the entire weekend.

"I cleared your schedule, Relena. The Preventers sat down with Lady Une a few days ago and all agreed that you're exhausting yourself by working too much."

She smiled a little and laughed her polite laugh.

"You know Quatre if I closed my eyes while you said that just now, I would have sworn that you were…." her voice drifted off unintentionally and her eyes, for just a moment, got a distant look in them. The thought of saying his name again after all the years that had gone by was too painful. Quatre's smile faded. He knew exactly who she was thinking of.

"Just say you'll go." he said, sounding concerned. There was the Quatre she knew and loved.

"Fine. It seems my schedule is clear now anyway." she smiled slightly.

"Good. I'll pick you up from your house today at 5 o'clock. Oh, and just to let you know, all the pilots will be there too."

Quatre stood and left before _he_ came to mind again. All of the pilots would be there? Would that include… Heero Yuy? Or hopefully Quatre just meant the pilots who had agreed to join the Preventers…. She could handle that if it were the case. Yes, it was no trouble to sit in a room and enjoy herself around Trowa, Duo and even Wufei some of the time. But what if…? No. She wouldn't think of that. Or at least she could try not to. But it still tugged at the back of her mind. He still haunted her. Her dreams, her thoughts, even her musings were wasted on a particular person who might or might not even still be living.

"Oh God…." She found herself groaning out loud. Her memories were too painful. Quatre would never subject her to that kind of torture. Would he? No of course not. He was a good friend. Or at least she found herself praying that he was a good friend…

She glanced hopefully up at the clock once again. But once again she was disappointed in what she saw. A sigh escaped her coral painted lips and she let her head fall onto her hands.

"Heero…" She whispered and immediately shuttered at the sound of his name which seemed to echo through the otherwise empty room. Relena was silent again. His name coming from her lips again after six years felt foreign and out of place. Six years ago his name was on her lips all of the time, but now things were different. She was different and he probably was different too, that is, if he was still even alive. However, it was not her decision to become different. It was the only conceivable way to forget. How on earth could one person possibly have such an impact on another's heart? It was completely implausible to her.

The air conditioning unit clicked on and sent a light breeze rustling through the thick drapery. Old habits proved hard to break when she found herself looking up at the drapes, almost doubting if the air conditioning had really been the thing to move them. The corners of Relena's mouth twitched and rose slightly as the realization set in and that old familiar twinge rose in her chest. She still, without meaning to, found herself looking for him. Behind the curtains, in the shadows of her room, in the tree outside her windows at night… everywhere darkness was. That was the only place he would ever let himself feel at home. With no effort, she pushed her chair back and walked to the picture window of her office. She leaned on it, looking dreamily out at the buzzing city far far below her. A small tear made its way down her porcelain cheek but she wiped it away quickly with manicured fingers. As much as she tried, fought and cried, she knew deep inside that he was done with her. He would never come back.

_"I'll protect you, Relena. I promise." _

"Yeah… right." She mumbled, recalling that fateful promise. The scar on her left shoulder where an assassin's bullet tore through had disproved that promise a long time ago. In her opinion it had wounded her more emotionally than physically. She remembered it like it had been just yesterday.

She had been standing outside of the capital building, where she worked, talking to the press that surrounded her only hours after a breakthrough in peace negotiations. Duo, who had been her assigned bodyguard at that time, was watching the perimeter like a hawk. Unfortunately, his Cobalt eyes passed right over the man who looked innocent enough, but in fact held the most deadly intentions toward Relena. Seconds after her bodyguard's eyes went over him, he drew his weapon, previously hidden in a holster under his coat.

"Relena! Get down!" Duo yelled, jumping to take the bullet for her as soon as he heard the gunshot ring out. But he was too late. Her shoulder kicked back violently as the bullet passed through. The Media's video cameras caught everything from her being shot and hitting to ground to the other Preventers gunning down the assassin right there on the steps of the capital building. They played it over and over on the news for the next several days, including whatever they found out about the assassin and if it went deeper than just the one gunman. Apparently it did not.

"Oh God! Relena speak to me!" Duo said as he shook her. He hovered over her looking for a pulse as she started to loose consciousness. In her injured state, she could have sworn it was Heero yelling at her.

"Heero…? I'll be ok, Heero… stop yelling." She managed to say before passing out from the blood loss and shock. This made Duo stiffen in rage. If Heero had been there, Relena would never have been hit in the first place. Duo held her limp body tightly against his chest, sobbing. The shock of what happened and the pain her words to his heart sent him into ultra protective mode. The paramedics had to pry her away from him. When she saw video reports of this later, of them having to tear her near lifeless body from Duo's strong embrace and her blood stains covering virtually every inch of his uniform, she wept uncontrollably.

The bullet had just narrowly missed her heart and caused permanent muscle tissue damage. The wound and proximity to her heart put her in a life-threatening condition. It was over a week before the doctors and Sally told her brother she was out of the woods and would recover… slowly. But she no longer could lift heavy objects or even work out her upper body in anyway without putting herself in agony. Relena never thought Duo would stop apologizing. And even though she had forgiven him, Milliardo, who was still in charge of her security at that point, was quick to reassign him to a different position. Shortly after that, Wufei and Trowa had been promoted to being her personal bodyguards. Ten days into her stay, when she finally woke, was the hardest. The pain of the wound was secondary to her. The hurt of Heero not being there was much worse. Somehow, she convinced herself that he would come, yet, he never did show up to see her or check on her. There were no tokens of affection left for her from him either. She could have died that day and it probably wouldn't have even mattered to him. If it hadn't been for the other pilots' constant reassurance and support… she probably wouldn't have made it. It took a long time for her wound to heal, but even longer for her heart to heal.

When Heero made that promise years before, even if he did fail to keep it, it was the moment Relena made the incurable realization that she, the most influential and well known diplomat in space and earth, was nothing without Heero Yuy. Even if he was just standing behind her in the shadows, his presence was all she needed. He had always admired her strength and told her that he was nothing compared to her, but in reality it was his confidence in her that made her stand tall when times were the hardest. It was him and his life that made her fight to make the world a better and safer place. A place where no wars raged, children could grow up without the pain of losing loved ones and parents could go without the constant fear of losing their children to the violence. And yet… after all the years together and all the promises between them, he still walked away and left her behind. He had left her alone to be shot, kidnapped, endlessly harassed, and worst of all… to live with his memory. If only she hadn't opened her mouth maybe he wouldn't have left all those years ago. Maybe he would have stayed with her.

A voice interrupted her pondering.

"Miss Relena. Shouldn't you be working on something?" The haughty voice asked.

"Yes Dorothy but I can't concentrate right now. I think I'm loosing touch with reality." She sighed and went back to her desk.

Dorothy stood in the doorway holding a mound of paperwork in her hands. Her brow furrowed slightly. What was Relena talking about?

"Please tell me that isn't mine." Relena pled, once back at her desk.

"No. It's not yours so don't worry. I have to finish all this by the end of the day. I'm taking the next few days to stay with Quatre in his country villa." She smiled.

"Oh so you're going too then?" Relena asked.

"Yes. Typically when you date someone they ask you to do things with them, or had you forgotten that Relena?" She asked, laughing.

Relena chuckled faintly.

"You know I wouldn't know about anything having to do with dating, Dorothy."

"Relena you just have to let me fix you up with one of the accountants down the hall. He's an absolute dreamboat! Or even better," she stopped and made sure he wasn't around, "Trowa Barton!"

"What? Trowa? Don't be silly, Dorothy."

"Oh come on Miss Relena. You see the way he looks at you, right?"

"No thank you. Let's be serious. You know I don't have time for dating, especially one of my own bodyguards. I have a full time job here that follows me home every night. There's not even time for a social life let alone a dating life."

"You would date him if he were Heero Yuy." Dorothy commented under her breath.

"Excuse me?" Relena demanded. Dorothy blushed.

"I was saying that your work follows you home at night because you let it. You could be like the rest of us and actually have a life when you leave the office."

"That would be too normal." Relena laughed, seemingly forgetting what the platinum haired woman had said before that. Dorothy smiled too. That was a close one.

"Well I suppose I should finish this before the end of the work day. Good luck finishing yours too Relena. I'd like to see you sometime over the next few days at the villa. In fact, you have to promise me you won't bring any paperwork with you."

"Dorothy-"

"Promise me."

"Fine. I promise not to bring any paperwork with me. Satisfied?"

"Yes. Thank you." She said before smiling and leaving as quietly as she had come.

Trowa Barton. That was so ridiculous. The thought of being with someone else was silly… or that's what she kept telling herself anyway. In her heart she still hoped for Heero to come back to her. And if he didn't, there just wouldn't be anyone in her life. She took a glance at all the work on her desk left and sighed. She could be different than Heero. She could keep her promises. So began again the long boring afternoon of being the Foreign Minister.

Later that evening she stood dumbfounded in the middle of her walk-in closet. What to take? She hadn't been on a real vacation in years. Mixed in with all the business attire was very little casual clothing. After what felt like hours, she finally emerged with quite a few light pieces to wear over the next few days. Bringing out her suitcase, she packed it full of the small amount of sundresses, shorts, t-shirts and Capri pants she owned.

"This should be good enough." Relena said to herself, thinking out loud.

"Almost ready, princess?" Trowa asked her from the doorway. Calling her princess, even though she truly was one, was almost like a nickname for her now. It was rare for Trowa to call her that. The last person to refer to her as such was Duo.

She smiled, tucked her loose hair behind her ear and turned to look at him. His eyes sparkled in the late afternoon sun's rays. Recalling Dorothy's words from earlier she noticed how handsome Trowa really was. But her heart belonged to another… and she couldn't forget that.

"Yes. I think I'm ready, Trowa."

"Alright, I'll take this downstairs for you." He said, coming for her suitcase.

"Trowa…?" Relena began slowly.

"Yes Relena?"

"Will… will Heero be there this week?" She asked, but wasn't sure why all of a sudden it mattered to her. His name still felt foreign on her lips…

He stopped what he was doing. Why did she still have to love that undeserving bum?

"I don't know. Quatre hasn't really shared much with me." Trowa told her. For all he knew Heero might truly be there. But deep down, Trowa found himself wishing Yuy wouldn't show. He really just wanted to spend some time with Relena like he didn't get to do at the mansion under the critical eyes of everyone else, including Wufei.

"Oh… well thank you for taking the luggage down. I'll be down shortly." She said, with a peculiar sadness Trowa hadn't seen since she had been shot. It was that certain sadness that only Heero Yuy's absence could put in her eyes. It tore him apart because he wanted to be the one to take that sorrow away and replace it with happiness. He wanted more than anything to make her laugh and to see her beautiful smile grace everyone's presence once more.

He picked up her suitcase and tote bag and turned to leave.

"Trowa…?" She said, facing the window instead of him.

"Yes Relena?"

"Am I a fool… for still loving him? I told him once, you know. I told him I loved him. Then he left. He just… left. I'm the reason he isn't here now. I really am a fool." She said. Her voice had shrunken to a mere whisper. That was more information about her situation with Heero then she had ever dared to speak to another person. But she felt like she could share that with Trowa. He wouldn't judge her wrongly.

"No you're not a fool. You can't change the feelings in your heart overnight." He told her, reeling from the shock her words gave him. It felt as if Heero Yuy had come back and punched him in the chest.

She turned to him, a heartbreaking smile playing on her beautiful lips it seemed she could cry at any second. He didn't know what possessed him, but suddenly he couldn't control his behavior. Trowa put down the luggage and went to her. In a protective manner, he wrapped his arms around her small frame and held her close. She was stiff to his embrace at first, but then she seemed to melt into him. Trowa continued to hold her and she buried her face in his chest. It had been so long since she was hugged like that.

She didn't know what had driven Trowa to act the way he did, but… she was happy for his protective embrace. For the first time since Heero had left she felt safe. She looked up from her hiding place in his arms to look at his eyes. Relena felt lost in those enchanting green eyes.

"Trowa…?" She whispered.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a light cough behind them. They both turned to see Wufei Chang standing in the doorway. His legs were spread a little bit, arms folded tightly against his chest and a disapproving expression on his face. Relena broke the embrace immediately.

"Barton. We should be leaving." He said matter-of-factly.

Relena felt the blush start to show in her hot cheeks. How humiliating… to be caught in any other man's arms that weren't Heero's.

"I'll meet you downstairs, Trowa. Let me make sure I'm not forgetting anything," she said, turning away from the ex-pilots to hide her embarrassment.

He simply nodded and took up her bags once more, heading downstairs. When exiting the room, Trowa and Wufei exchanged blank, unreadable glances. Wufei looked in on her one last time before leaving.

"Hurry up, Miss Peacecraft."

"I'll only be one second." She turned around and smiled but it was such an empty smile that it made him frown.

As he walked down the hall to the staircase he couldn't help but feel sorry for her over the injustice of Yuy's sudden leaving. But Barton had no right infringing on Relena's vulnerable state. It seemed a talk between the two was in order… though neither of them talked very much. This could be more difficult than he thought.

"Barton, what exactly where you doing in there?" The Chinese man asked when he had caught up to his taller partner.

"I felt sorry for her. That's all."

"You shouldn't get close. Her heart still belongs to Yuy, although he doesn't deserve it." He found himself saying. As a pilot, he respected Heero more than anyone besides Treize, but as a person he found very little to enjoy.

"I know, but Heero isn't coming back. That's a fact she's going to have to learn one day and when she does, I want to be the one who sweeps her off her feet like she's always deserved. Like Heero Yuy never did. Even if I can't be number one in her heart, to just be in her heart is all I ask." Trowa said. Neither of them seemed to notice that Relena was in hearing range right behind them, listening to all that was being said in curious wonder.

"Do you think she will give up on Yuy so easily? It has been six years."

"I would wait six more if I knew someday she would be mine." Trowa said, quietly.

She came to a complete stop when she heard this. Trowa wanted a place in her heart after all? How utterly absurd. How could she have been that blind? Was she truly so cut off from the emotions of others because of the love she still had for Heero? The fact that he was speaking to Wufei about it was embarrassing and she waited until they were completely downstairs before following again. She couldn't let on that she had overheard them. Not only would Wufei chastise her for eavesdropping, but Trowa would surely be embarrassed.

"Is Quatre here yet?" She asked, coming to the end of the staircase.

To Trowa she looked like an angel. A very sad angel. He felt himself begin to frown again.

"Yes. Mr. Winner honked his car horn just a moment ago." The butler informed them. Wufei and Trowa picked up the suitcases and followed the young Peacecraft out to the awaiting vehicle.

It was a very sunny and bright afternoon. Winter had come and gone and now the sights, sounds and smells of late spring were all around. Quatre was driving one of his very expensive cars and got out to greet them and help put Relena's bags into the trunk. Dorothy emerged from the front seat to greet her friend. Relena couldn't help but smile when she saw Dorothy. She was dressed in a pale pink satin sundress that came up a little past her knees and had a ribbon around the waist to show off her curves, sunglasses, and a large spring hat. Her high-heels clicked on the marble driveway as she ran to Relena, snatching the Foreign Minister's hands in her own.

"Relena! No paperwork I see." She smiled.

"No. Remember? I promised you I wouldn't bring any." Relena exchanged a rare smile.

"I'm so happy! Come on, I'll open your door." She said. Sure enough she led Relena to the car and opened the backseat.

"Thank you Dorothy. That was kind of you."

"What can I say? Quatre's turning me into a softy."

Trowa and Wufei finished loading the trunk and got into the backseat as well. Wufei sat on her left and Trowa on her right. She felt like the president with all his secret service men. The thought made her giggle a little under her breath. Quatre took his place back at the steering wheel and they took off down the road.

Relena felt very comfortable between her two bodyguards. It wasn't too long a drive to the villa. Dorothy fell asleep mere moments after leaving the Peacecraft estate and Relena was now finding it increasingly difficult to remain conscious. A goodnight's sleep was very hard to come-by. Finally, she let her weighty eyelids rest with the promise to herself that it would only be for a few moments.

"Ok! We're here." Quatre cheerfully announced to everyone. Dorothy took several seconds to stretch out and Relena scolded herself. She had fallen asleep, but worse than that, she had fallen on Trowa's shoulder. When she awoke she noticed how comfortable she was and, looking up, her stare fell on a kind pair of emerald green eyes.

"Oh! Trowa… I'm sorry." She blushed.

"It's quite alright." He told her, turning his gaze out the window.

The car came to a slow halt in the circular driveway of a mansion straight out of a pastoral painting. Relena's breath caught in her throat when she looked at it.

"How do you like it, Miss Relena?" Quatre asked, smiling at Relena's childlike stare.

"Quatre… it's so beautiful."

Trowa and Wufei unloaded Relena's things from the trunk, leaving Quatre and Dorothy's bags behind. Quatre came for their things after hugging Relena. He couldn't help himself. The fact that she had actually come had shocked him beyond words. He was certain she was going to stay and continue to drive her nose into business all weekend. But no, she had surprised him. She really was here.

"Come on Relena, I'll show you where you'll be spending the next few days." Dorothy grinned, taking Relena's hand. Trowa and Wufei followed. Dorothy gave Relena the grand tour of the mansion. The indoor pool, outdoor pool, outdoor recreational area and barbeque pit, gardens, lake, library/study, three sitting rooms, living area, formal dining room, casual dining room, game room, massive kitchen, the master bedroom suite and several other guest rooms before coming to a close with Relena's room. It looked similar to the other guest rooms. Private bath, walk-in closet, built-ins, dresser, vanity, and mirrors, but there was a small difference. This guest room was on the corner of the house, therefore giving it a few additional windows and much more light.

"Quatre said you liked windows, so he thought you should get this corner room. Oh and he also said you liked lilies so that's why there's so many of them." Dorothy laughed. Relena hadn't noticed before but there were freshly cut lilies everywhere seeming to lighten the room even more, if that were possible.

"It's so beautiful." She sat on the chase recliner and stared out the window; she couldn't help but touch her fingers to the glass as she looked out on the landscaping. Dorothy reminded her that dinner would be served at seven and the other company should all be arriving soon so if they wanted to get some rest it should be done now.

"Oh and by the way. Quatre thought it would be best if Trowa slept in here with you on the sofa, Relena. He wants you to be safe. Or if they would rather, Trowa and Wufei could take shifts and whoever's not with you can have the other bedroom set aside for you all. Well I'll be seeing you at dinner. If you're not tired Relena, you're more than welcome to just make yourself at home and look around some more." And with that, the long haired woman was gone from the room. She went all the way to the opposite end of the hall to the master bedroom to take a short nap and get freshened up for the night's events.

"I'll leave it up to you two on how you want to handle sleeping situations. I trust you both. And remember, I DO get the bed. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to freshen up in the bathroom." Relena sighed, moving quietly to the bathroom.

They just stared at each other. This was a common thing between the two least vocal pilots out of the bunch.

"You'll want the night shift I'm guessing?" Wufei said with the slightest bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"Only if you don't want it. I would think you'd want to spend some time with Sally while we're here, no?"

"Sally's not coming that I know of. You can have the night shift; I'll cover her during the day."

Trowa left the room to go to the spare one next door. He spread out on the bed covered in expensive Pima cotton sheets. Now was his chance! Now he finally had the chance to spend some quality time with the woman he had loved for so long. He would have her nights. The time when she was the most thought provoking. Night for Relena meant inspiration and spirituality. She seemed more in tune with her surroundings and her senses more alert. Trowa loved spending the rare evening around her. Now he had several nights in a row alone with her. A rare smile came to his lips.

_'Finally…'_ he thought to himself.

In the bathroom, Relena splashed her face with cool water and observed her reflection in the mirror. When did she get such large black circles under her eyes? And since when was she so pale? Her eyes jerked away from the scary reflection and let her mind wander. She did not exit the bathroom for fear of seeing the wrong person standing in her bedroom. But who was the wrong person? Her heart both wanted and didn't want for it to be Trowa out there. If he was there then that meant spending the long nights with Wufei. He was deeply intellectual but hardly spoke a word to her. The only people he spoke even a little more frequently with were Duo and Sally. But mainly he just yelled at Duo. So really the only person he held a normal (or semi-normal) conversation with was Sally. She guessed that the only reason he talked to Sally like he did was because he had known her since before the war even started and worked closely with her when he first joined the Preventers. The nights, in Wufei's case, would be very quiet and more than likely, dull. But Trowa on the other hand would speak to her. Occasionally, they shared intimate discussions. Especially at night when they both seemed to be a little more open with each other. Plus, in light of new information, things might be a little more interesting. She wanted to know if what he said was true. She needed to know. If it really was true then there was some serious thinking to do on her part.

She took a deep breath and stepped out, sighing in hidden relief when she saw Wufei standing before her. A sudden wash of happiness came over here. Maybe there was room in her heart for someone else after all. And as happy of a thought as that should have been, sadness quickly followed.

"I see you'll be taking the day shift. Well then come on. As lovely as this room is I would really like to spend some more time in the gardens before more company comes. Would that be ok with you?"

"Yes. That would be fine." he told her. Relena would have sworn she saw the slight trace of a smile on his lips. She lead, he followed. Just like all her bodyguards, or, almost all. Trowa was the only one who had ever walked next to her instead of behind, but she wished they all would. It would make her feel more normal somehow.

Outside was so beautiful. The grounds seemed to glow with the colors and sounds of springtime. Everything was new. It had all been reborn. She wished the same transformation could occur in her.

"It's very nice." Wufei said to her. Taken aback at his sentiment and the softness in his voice, all Relena could do was nod slowly in agreement. They finally walked side by side like she had wanted to do before.

"Thank you for coming out here with me." She finally told him.

"I know you heard us." He told her. She sighed. He certainly didn't beat around the bush. Of course he knew. Trowa probably knew she had been following them as well.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"But you did."

There was a pause.

"How long has he felt that way?"

"Longer than you could imagine. Too long for his own good really. He can't see the truth. He's too blinded by emotion."

"I see… since before Heero left then?"

"Unfortunately."

"Why didn't he ever tell me? Why didn't anyone ever tell me?"

"He knew better and no one else, besides me and Quatre I'm sure, knew of it. You belonged to Heero, or at least your heart did. If Yuy ever found out he would have killed him. Or worse… you would have rejected him." This was more than Wufei had said to her in… well probably ever.

"I see…"

It was true. She would have rejected him. But now… now would she? She wasn't sure. She and Trowa were apparently overdue for a talk. Her thoughts were interrupted by a heaving sigh on Wufei's part and one single sentence from the Chinese man.

"He's here."

Relena had barely turned around to see who Wufei was referring to before being thrown over a strong shoulder.

"Relena!" Duo yelled in excitement, spinning them both around in a circle. Relena laughed harder than she had in years. The flowers swirled into a rainbow of colors. He finally put her back on solid ground and engulfed her in an enormous bear hug. It had been months since the last time she had seen Duo or Hilde.

"It's so good to see you, Duo!" She said, still regaining composure from the spinning.

"It's good to see you too, princess."

"Where's Hilde?" She asked.

"She's in the kitchen with Dorothy. You know she can't get around as good right now. It's hard on her feet."

"Oh Duo I still can't believe you're going to be a father. I'm so happy for you."

Duo finally caught sight of the silent Chinese man behind Relena.

"Wu-man! You're here too! Where's Sally? I hear you two are real close these days." He winking laughed, nudging Wufei's arm.

"I don't know what you're talking about. She's not here anyway."

"I'm not?" Sally wondered aloud, coming down the step stones that led into the gardens. She wore a blue A-line sundress, blue and white polka dotted high heels and a white translucent summer hat. Her cheeks were blushed from the warm weather and her lips painted a light pink. In her hand was a martini and she looked like something out of an old movie where the lighting made everything softer and more striking. Wufei felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of her. She looked so beautiful. It was rare he ever got to see her in anything but her Preventer uniform.

"It looks and feels like I'm here, Wufei. Wouldn't you say?" She asked, a half smile tugging at her lips. He was not amused at her wit. But at the same time, something about it made his skin tingle. She was difficult and ornery and that made her all the more alluring to him. She was unlike any other woman he knew. Intelligent, quick on her feet, she could take care of herself, and was a Preventer just like him. But he didn't want anyone to know of the feelings he had for her. Especially not her. Not yet anyway.

"Sally! I didn't realize you were coming." Relena hugged her.

"Yes. Your sister-in-law and brother invited me."

"What?" Relena said, confusion gathering in her eyes. Her brother and Noin were coming? She hadn't seen or heard from them in over a year. They had been gone on a mission in space and, under Lady Une's strict orders, were not allowed to contact her.

"Yes. They should be here later tonight."

"My brother and Noin are really coming? I need to go talk to Quatre! He didn't tell me!" She said, her head feeling dizzy all of a sudden. Her brother was coming! Her big brother that she hadn't seen in over a year's time would be there at that very house that very evening! Not to mention the fact that she had just learned that one of her current bodyguards had fallen in love with her years ago and never said anything. She jogged up the step stones with Wufei right behind her. Finally she reached the French doors that lead into the kitchen area where everyone was gathered.

"Quatre! You didn't tell me Milliardo and Lucrezia were coming!" She scolded gently.

"It was a surprise. Did Sally tell?" He asked with a fake look of disappointment masking his face. It soon fell into a regular smile when he saw her face beaming. It was then she noticed the others standing around. Hilde, in all her seven months of pregnancy glory, was smiling wider than Relena thought it was possible to smile. Not to mention the fact that she had seemed to glow since the day she found out she was expecting.

"Hilde you look so good." She said, hugging her friend.

When the last uprising had ended Duo went to live and start his home business with Hilde. She and Relena had only met once or twice before that, but soon became fast friends when Duo decided to join the Preventers and, after Heero's disappearance, took over as her bodyguard until the assassination attempt. Duo and Hilde had been married for four years and were finally expecting to welcome a new addition to their family in a little less than two months. Relena was happy for them… but a little jealous too. They had everything she ever wanted. A loving relationship, a home and now they were starting a family of their own. Why couldn't she have that?

"Relena, are you dieting? You look too thin," Hilde said frowning, looking Relena up and down. She already sounded like a mother.

Everyone burst into laughter. Relena's diet consisted of the smallest breakfast ever, lunch out of a vending machine and a dinner made by her chef which she was, most all the time, too busy with work to eat. She very rarely had time to sit and eat a good meal so she had gotten quite thin over the years.

"No… it's just my lifestyle that keeps me looking like this." She smoothed her hands over her small hourglass figure and everyone laughed even harder. She felt silly for the first time in years and laughed with them.

The sun was setting in the background, casting shades of deep pink and purple through the window onto the members of the group. Sally put her empty glass on the wet bar, stretched her arms over her head and yawned.

"Well folks, not that I'm bored or anything, but it's been a long day, so I'm heading upstairs," she said, backing out of the room.

Wufei's eyes followed her and she caught his stare for only a second, letting an almost unnoticeable hint of a smile come to her lips. He saw it and gave her a slight nod before she turned the corner.

"You must think pretty highly of Miss Po to watch her like that," Relena said quietly to Wufei. He didn't even flinch and pretended not to hear. Hopefully no one else realized what he had done; unfortunately Wufei knew by the stupid smile on Duo's face that he had caught on too. But then again… he always had that stupid look.

Later that night, while waiting for her brother and sister-in-law, after the laughter had died and much of the company had gone to bed for the night, Relena, Duo, Trowa, Quatre and Dorothy engaged in a card game of Rummy. Relena's eyes darted over her hand, wondering what to give up and to complete her turn. She carefully drew the 2 of diamonds and placed in on the discard pile. Duo snatched up the card a little too fast for her liking. He looked over at her and winked.

"Thanks, Relena!" He told her, right before tossing out his discard face down to indicate that he had won the game. She reached over and slapped him playfully on the back of his head. Duo, Quatre and Dorothy erupted with laughter.

"What's so funny?"

Relena's head whipped around and her eyes meet the ice blue eyes of her elder brother. She felt her heart in her throat as she slowly stood, letting her eyes tell the story of how she had missed him so over the past year. Before she was entirely out of her chair, she was swept into his large arms and let her head fall onto his chest, right where his heart was located. Neither of them spoke for what seemed to be several moments, they just held each other like they hadn't seen one another in decades. His hands swept down and cupped her face, bringing it up to look him in the eye.

"Little sister… it's been too long," he said in his cool, deep voice. Relena felt unseen tears stinging her eyes.

"Yes it has. Where have you been? Why couldn't you contact me?" The questions flowed out of her mouth before he realized what she had said. She placed a hand over her mouth in surprise of what she'd said.

He just stared at her before beginning to smile.

"That's a talk for another day, Relena." He smiled at her. She blushed at her stupidity. Of course he wouldn't want to discuss those things tonight, especially in front of everyone.

"Of course, brother. I hope you had a good trip. Where is Lucrezia?"

"I'm afraid Lucrezia has already retired to bed for the evening. It's getting late. I'm going to go as well." He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes, enjoying her brother's loving attention for just a moment. He broke off their embrace and headed out of the room.

"Goodnight, Milliardo."

"Goodnight, Relena."

And he left. His silence as he left reminded Relena of a ghost floating out of the room. Maybe that's all he was.

"I think we should all get to bed." Duo yawned. He got up from the table and walked over to a window facing out to the gardens. He stood in silence and watched the light of the moon play and break on the serene surface of the lake.

"Goodnight everyone." Relena said, before leaving the room. They all wished her a good evening and Trowa walked beside her up to her bedroom.

"If you will excuse me for a moment," she said before going into the bathroom. Her heart began to race a little. Trowa was out there. What should she say? She desperately wanted to hear him say that he loved her, but at the same time didn't because that would mean… That would mean she might have to let him in. She might have to open herself or her heart. But was she ready? Her hands gathered some of the warm water that was gathering in the sink under the running faucet and splashed her face a few times.

"Get a hold of yourself."

Suddenly she was conscious of her selected bed attire and was nervous. A plain black camisole and a pair of thin white cotton sleep pants sat waiting to be put on. Was the outfit too revealing? Maybe she should pick something else… No. Trowa had seen her plenty of times in that particular sleeping ensemble. She slowly undressed herself and put the new clothes on. It made her feel instantly better to be in such light breathable clothing.

"You can do this," she told herself, reaching out for the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. Trowa was sitting, reading a book, on the couch. His eyes didn't come up to meet her when she exited the bathroom so she went and sat on the sofa next to him. Her eyes didn't search for his; instead she focused on one spot on the wall. She had to say something to him, but how to start…

"What do you want to talk about, Relena?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, now facing to look at him.

"Well, you aren't looking at me. You're focusing on the wall, like you do right before one of your speeches."

He had caught on to her.

"I'm not sure what I was going to say...," she lied.

"You overheard me today, didn't you?"

"So you do know," she sighed, "Did you mean all that you said? About loving me and wanting a spot in my heart?"

He was quiet, his eyes temporarily resting back on the open book in his hands. That wasn't how he wanted her to find out. But now that she knew, he could not deny it to her.

"Yes. I suppose I did. It seems like an odd way for you to find out, though. I wish I had the courage long ago to tell you to your face. I suppose I always planned on telling you, but never did."

Relying solely on instinct and what her heart told her to do at this point, she snuggled closer to him. His body stiffened at the feeling of her touch.

"It's true. I would have rejected you if you had told me this before Heero left… and probably even up until a short while ago. It still seems crazy, even now, to let anyone but him near my heart. But I do like you Trowa and I think I could easily fall in love with you. That is what scares me the most. I'm so accustomed to loving only Heero, and I think I always will, but maybe… maybe I could love you too one day. Maybe I could one day only love my memories of Heero, instead of him as a person. But I need time. I don't even know how much time to tell you. I have to move slowly with this."

"Are you saying you want us to be… together?"

"I think so." She smiled, looking up at him. His body almost instantly relaxed and he let his arm drape over her shoulders to pull her closer to him.

"I'll give you your time. I'd wait forever for you. You're worth it."

She raised her head and placed a delicate kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight Trowa," she told him, getting up from the couch to go to the bed.

"Goodnight Relena." He smiled and went back to his reading. She wanted to be with him. His heart felt like it could fly right out of his chest.

Very early the next morning, Relena laid wrapped up in the soft comfortable sheets of her bed. The faint purple light of the morning sun were barely peeking in through the window. She let a long sigh escape and her lazy eyelids took long blinks as she enjoyed the serenity of her quiet room. Her bed was so comfortable she never wanted to get up. Maybe she could just spend the whole day lying in bed. But then she would loose a whole day and that didn't even happen if she was ill. Slowly she pulled herself to a sitting position and wiped the sleep from her eyes. Relena pushed away the covers and walked over to the couch to see Trowa sleeping soundly. There he was… her new companion. She did not want to think of him as a boyfriend… that term seemed so juvenile to her. Really, he was her first spoken companion. She and Heero had never vocalized or even acknowledged their relationship. She smiled when he moaned slightly in his sleep and his eye twitched. He was probably dreaming. Her hand swept his long hair from his hidden eye and she took in how handsome he was.

"This could be a good thing, Trowa."

A few hours later, Trowa woke with a jolt. He knew before he looked behind him on the couch Relena wasn't there. A swift turn of his head confirmed what he already knew. Her bed was made, the vacant bathroom could be seen through the open door and she was no where in sight. Where was she?

Outside, seated next to Wufei on a bench near the pond, Relena sat and watched, in childlike amusement, four petite wrens hop about. Her wide smile caught his attention and Wufei began to watch the birds too. Was she expecting them to do anything but gather food and twigs for their nests? She let her head tilt and a little sigh escape her lips. He hadn't seen her quite this relaxed in some time. It was amazing what even a modest vacation will do.

"Aren't they amazing? So small but still so happy…" she commented. He just continued looking at the birds, not quite catching her meaning. He did suppose they looked content in their own little tasks. Approaching footsteps quickly stole his attention away from the birds as he turned to glance at who was coming. Quatre was taking his time coming out to the garden.

"Breakfast is ready." He said, smiling. She didn't know what overcame her, but Relena was on her feet and hugging Quatre tightly before either of them knew it was coming.

"Thank you so much, Quatre. Thank you for this vacation." She broke the hug and looked him in the eye. He was smiling brightly. Relena, Quatre and Wufei all walked up to the house together.

They all laughed and enjoyed their breakfast together. Relena even caught up, a little, with her brother and Lucrezia. They were still quiet about where they had been, but let her know that they would be staying home for a long time.

"Relena… I know you're on your own and you don't really get to stay home very much, but if you ever get a free weekend, you should come and stay with your brother and I. We would love to have you," Lucrezia said, taking dirty dishes to the kitchen. Relena was too choked up to respond.

The whole group of people went into Quatre's large sitting room as soon as breakfast was finished. Trowa sat very close to Relena on the couch and Milliardo noticed she seemed to be leaning into him slightly. This greatly concerned him and his brow furrowed, making Lucrezia look over at him in worry. He silently wondered if his younger sister could be falling for yet another Gundam pilot. First Yuy now Barton… he would have to have a talk with Relena about this matter.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Lucrezia finally asked.

"What? Oh, nothing. Nothing is wrong." His gaze temporarily fell onto his wife. She smiled at him and then went back to her book. His eyes quickly went back to his younger sister.

Relena felt restless sitting cooped with everyone in that sitting room and very little light coming in. She sighed repeatedly and tried to settle down, but couldn't. It didn't make it any easier to have Milliardo staring at her and Trowa like he was.

"If you all will excuse me, I'm going to get some fresh air," she said, smoothing her skirt as she stood up. Trowa stood too and followed her out of the room.

Once outside, they walked side by side like always. But this time Trowa walked even closer to her than usual. His long slender fingers gently touched the top of her hand asking permission. She took his hand and her head rested on his shoulder as they continued down the pathway. Unbeknownst to the couple, they were being watched by a small crowd in the kitchen. They had excused themselves right after Relena and Trowa had left the room.

"So, I see Barton finally made a move. They're so cute together." Dorothy laughed; her arm and hand both entwined with Quatre's.

"Yeah! Who would have guessed it? Well I guess it was really only a matter of time… I mean, did she honestly think that–" Duo's sentence was cut short.

"Think that what, Duo?" Hilde asked, noticing her husband's paled face. She turned to look in the direction her husband's stare was pointing. Everyone else looked too. A knot was growing in Duo's stomach and it was Hilde who said what everyone else was thinking.

"Oh my God… Heero?!"

Authors notes:

Sorry for the weird spacing... I'm not used to the formating anymore. But I am back! Now, some of you might actually remember me as SonicBloom. For those of you who don't, then other authors might recognize the name I used for signing reviews, 'GundamFan'. The break was nice, but this is so much better. Updates to this will come about once a month or so. Please leave lots of reviews for me.


	2. An Unexpected Visitor

_**Chapter Two: Unexpected Visitor**_

**XOXOXO**

The tall, almost scraggly looking ex-pilot leaned on the frame of the kitchen door. He let his piercing blue eyes stare out vacantly at everyone in the room from between the thick bangs that nearly hid his face entirely. No one in the kitchen moved for several seconds, convinced that what they were seeing was an apparition. Duo's grin went from hitting his ears to nonexistent. Quatre stepped forward, swallowed the rest of his scotch and continued to approach the stoic figure leaning in the doorway. The air became stale and the aura uninviting in stark contrast to the night before.

"Heero… you actually made it," Quatre said as he got within arms length of the man everyone had thought dropped off the planet.

"Yeah. Guess I did." Heero replied, his gaze shifting away to show his disinterest in the small crowd. His voice was as low and monotone as ever. No hint of anything.

"Let me show you to your room," Quatre sat his glass down on the granite counter top and lead the way. Duo followed close behind. They couldn't let Heero see the scene taking place down in the garden. When the men had left the room Dorothy swigged back the rest of her martini in one graceful movement of frustration and looked back out at Trowa and Relena. They looked so peaceful sitting on that bench watching the ducks and holding each others hand. Trowa pushed some golden hair from Relena's face and Relena just smiled up at him. Dorothy's heart felt like it was lodged in her throat.

"Poor Relena… This could get very ugly very fast," she found herself saying out loud. Hilde looked out at what Dorothy was watching and merely nodded in agreement.

"We can't tell her he's here yet. She looks so happy. I want to see her happy for just a little while longer." Hilde sat down her glass of orange juice and went after Duo. It was now her duty as Relena's best friend to keep her husband quiet.

Relena leaned into Trowa; his warm touch inviting her closer. The thought of kissing him snuck its way into her mind and made her smile, but her heart wasn't ready for such a leap just yet. She only now felt comfortable letting him hold her hand, a middle school step of 'going out' she knew, but that was all she could handle. Plus, it hadn't even been twenty-four hours since she admitted to even wanting to pursue anything further with him. The top of her lacey white camisole top and bottom of her pink cotton skirt rustled in the afternoon breeze and she had to continuously tuck her hair back behind her ears so it wouldn't obscure her field of vision. His hand often came up to push her hair back for her.

"Relena, you've made me very happy," Trowa's quiet voice said to her. The sentiment seemed to float in the lazy afternoon air all around them.

"You've made me happy too."

'Heero made me happy once…,' she caught herself thinking, 'Stop it! He's not here anymore. Trowa's here now and he cares about me.'

**XOXOXOXO**

"Heero, what the hell dude? Where did you come from? Where have you been?" Duo rambled off. The last time he had seen Heero was before he and Hilde got married. He had invited his friend to the wedding but, unsurprisingly, Heero was a no-show. Good thing Quatre was the best man. It would have been pretty embarrassing if Heero had held that position and not bothered to show up. No, the last time he had seen him was after they found Relena's location and who her kidnapper was.

"I've been closer than you think. But I can't discuss where I've come from."

Duo watched as the man he use to respect and find the closest companionship with act just as cold and shut off as ever; maybe even more so than in the past. He didn't know why he thought there would be a change in his old comrade but there didn't even seem to be a hint of one. He just had to keep quiet about Trowa and Relena for at least a little while, though that could be hard to do. Heero had a way of getting information from him. Quatre watched Heero in silence. He observed his movements and posture and the way he carried himself around the room. Heero was like a panther in a trap.

"What do you mean you've been closer than we think?" Duo asked. Heero's words were just beginning to sink in.

"If you two will excuse me, I need to take a shower. It was a long trip," was Heero's response. Avoiding the question this time around was easy enough but he had said too much.

"Heero, wait a moment. Do you want me to let Ms. Relena know you are here?" Quatre waited for the stone-hearted pilot's reply. Heero stopped moving for a moment as if Quatre had stumped him and he didn't know the right answer.

"Whatever. It's your house."

"Fine. If you don't mind, I won't be telling her. I think she's been through enough in the years without you and with things the way they are now… well let's just say things are different and seeing you again could only hurt her further. Come on, Duo, let's give Heero his privacy."

Heero stared at the door and watched them leave. Since when did Quatre have such a backbone? Maybe it came from being with that Dorothy woman for so long. Heero had pretty much expected Quatre to cry when he saw him. He also didn't realize how hurt Relena had been by his leaving. But of course she was hurt… What did he expect? A woman reveals her love for him and he runs away. He couldn't love Relena at that time. He didn't know how to love anyone, and she deserved someone who did. Heero came to this party for a reason though. He was at least ready to try to learn. He tugged off his t-shirt and went into the bathroom for a shower. Later tonight, he might try and speak with her… maybe.

Duo was walking back down the hall towards the staircase when an arm reached from a vacant room and tugged him backwards into the dark.

"What did he say?" His young wife asked.

"Whoa there babe, don't worry so much. It's not good for the baby." He said, resting a loving hand on her abdomen.

"I'm just concerned for Relena. Who knows what would happen to her if she found out Heero was here. Her relationship with Trowa would be in complete jeopardy. It's still so fragile."

"I know that, babe. It's just… Heero is weird. You know that. He shows up at the oddest times. Remember when she got shot a few years ago? He was there within an hour and didn't leave until she started to come out of her coma. He almost killed that ICU doctor who told him he couldn't stay overnight in her room. After that, well, I got kicked out because I almost killed him. Then, when she got better and he knew that she would make it, he disappeared again. And then he showed up after she was kidnapped too… without him we probably wouldn't have even found her. Whenever something bad happened to her, he was there. But she never knew it and none of us ever told her because then she'd be even more hurt that he didn't stay around or at least say something to her. It's like he doesn't want her to know. So we shouldn't worry too much. I don't think he'll confront her."

"Don't even hint at the fact that she's with Trowa now! I like Trowa and hate to think of what Heero would do to him."

"Yeah," Duo said, smiling, "I can just picture having to find all the pieces of Trowa Barton scattered around the lawn."

Hilde slapped his arm and left with her husband quickly following behind.

**XOXOXOXO**

Dorothy sat next to her quiet lover on the piano bench as he played a soft, sad melody on the ivory and ebony keys. They had retired to Quatre's music room and he had begun playing his piano, a one-of-a-kind Steinway grand. Her head rested on his shoulder and, other than the song he was playing, they sat in understood and comfortable silence. Neither had to say what they were thinking, because it was the same. Quatre and Dorothy both had become attached to Relena over the past several years. They knew, even though she never said it, that she still loved Heero Yuy very much. But it was just now they were seeing a change for the better in her. She was finally, after six very long heartbreaking years, giving someone else who loved her a fair chance. Would Heero mess everything up or just avoid her like he always did? That was the million dollar question, but no one knew the answer.

Dorothy tilted her head upwards and kissed Quatre's cheek. He stopped playing his song and looked down at the keys. Sadness plagued his beautiful blue eyes as he turned to face Dorothy. She bit her lower lip out of worry. He hadn't been like this since the war. In a fluid, romantic motion he swept his hand through her blonde hair and brought her face close to his. She closed her eyes as their lips touched gracefully at first, but then with more sense of need. It was much like they were attempting to reassure each other.

**XOXOXOXO**

Wufei sat in the massive library of Quatre's house looking over all the books the rich businessman had collected over the years. A small noise behind him made him turn. Sally was standing in the entrance of the room. She had been holed up in her quarters all that morning and this was the first he had seen her. She flipped back her thick braids and came further into the room.

"Shouldn't you be with Ms. Relena?" Sally asked.

"She would rather be with Barton right now." Wufei replied, going back to what he was doing.

"Wufei, you haven't really said much of anything to me during our stay here together yet. I guess it's not surprising, really, with your track record of not speaking to anyone. But you usually have more to say to me."

Wufei, for a long time, was not too fond of Relena. He did not accept her or her ideals because he couldn't imagine a world truly coming to terms with the idea of total pacifism. But he was wrong. And when he saw that he was wrong, he decided to go and assist those who wanted to preserve it. In the beginning when Wufei first went to work with the Preventers, he and Sally were partners. They worked side by side for years and over that time, they began to develop a friendship and level of respect for each other. Sally, though a woman, was tougher than most men Wufei had met in his life and for that he did not consider her weak. She was the only one he felt he could talk to. He used to feel that way about Heero Yuy, but lost respect for him after he left Relena. On the other hand, although she was hurt, Relena showed courage and strength for the most part and, for that, he grew to admire her personality and resilience.

"I haven't seen enough of you to speak to you." He told her.

"Wufei, how do you feel about this situation with Trowa and Relena?" She asked, sitting down in one of the armchairs. He was quiet for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts about the delicate new relationship.

"I think that she deserves a little happiness and respect after all that has happened over the past several years. Barton can give that to her. I don't know for sure if she will ever love him like she does Yuy. But the fact that she's trying to open herself up for him is impressive."

"So you think it's a good idea for them to be together?"

"I suppose so. That's not my decision though. It's theirs."

They sat in silence for a moment or two longer before Wufei dismissed himself to go check on Relena and relieve Trowa for the rest of the afternoon. Sally remained sitting in the library by herself, thinking. She wished that she could tell Wufei how she felt about him, but she was too stubborn to admit it. And even if she did, there was still the possibility he did not feel the same way and truly did only think of her as a co-worker and a friend. The rejection would be too hard to take. So, therefore, she would live in silence and continue masking the emotions he stirred in her heart.

**XOXOXOXO**

Wufei found the pair sitting in the kitchen. Relena was still laughing at something Trowa had said before he had come into the room.

"Barton, I'm here to take over for the rest of the afternoon. You get some rest."

Trowa smiled at Relena and on his way out of the room he stopped and spoke to her so quietly Wufei could not overhear what was said. A wide smile spread across her face and she took on a lovely shade of pink. He kissed her hand and left the room. Wufei found himself smiling very faintly. Relena had never been this happy… not since before the war he supposed but he did not know her then. It was then he noticed, for the first time in a long time, the scar across the lower part of her left shoulder from the surgery to remove the bullet from the assassin's gun; right above her heart. It was not visible most all of the time because of her conservative work attire. His smile was quick to fade away. It was a blatant reminder of Heero's absence. Duo was a fool, yes, but he loved Relena dearly. He had never forgiven himself for allowing her to be shot, but not only that, he had never forgiven Yuy for not being there. Because Heero would have spotted the man and Relena would have never been hit.

"Are you alright, Wufei?" Relena noticed his meditative state.

"Yes. What would you like to do this afternoon?"

"Actually, I was hoping you would accompany me and Lucrezia. We want to go shopping!"

'Great…' Wufei thought to himself.

"Fine. Go and get her and we'll be on our way," he managed to say in a polite manner. Shopping with women… not how he pictured spending the rest of the afternoon.

Only a few seconds after she had gone to find Lucrezia, Duo came walking into the kitchen for an afternoon snack. Wufei kept quiet to discourage any communication from the braided man.

"Hey, Wu-man, guess who decided to rear his head again after so many years?"

Oh no. Wufei's eyelids slid open and his dark pupils bore into Duo's skull, pleading that he would not say a certain ex-Gundam pilot's name. From the sly, yet sad smile that pulled at Maxwell's lips he didn't even have to say it. But he did anyway.

"That's right. Heero got in not too long ago. Pretty great timing, huh?"

Wufei nearly said something, but decided it would be best not to. His temper was hard to control once he got going and that would most certainly get him going. It did not stop his brain from screaming 'Injustice!' though. He closed his eyes again hoping that Duo would get the point and leave him alone. He did not.

"Doesn't seem right. I know Quatre wanted him to come because we haven't exactly met under good circumstances in a while but… I don't think Quatre really thought he'd show. Heero hasn't come around any of us in a long time. I tried to find him for a while, but I couldn't so I gave up. Then after what happened to Relena at the Capital Building and he showed up I didn't want to see him at all. It's still hard to look at him, really."

Wufei, and the rest of the ex-pilots for that matter, knew that before Yuy had turned into such a giant ass (bigger than he was before) Maxwell really trusted him and felt more like his brother than even a friend. That was something major for two people like them who had no real family to speak of. But then, when Heero let everyone down, after he had come so far in his emotional growth and relationship with Relena, Duo felt his friendship fall apart a little. Then after he had gotten so attached to Relena and she was almost killed, his friendship with Yuy pretty much disintegrated. There were still parts of it left in Duo's heart, Wufei was sure of it, but it could never be like it used to be.

After another moment or two of this silence, Duo left to go sit with his sleeping wife for a while. She comforted him even when she was asleep.

**XOXOXOXO**

Heero watched Lucrezia, Wufei and Relena all climb into the black Jaguar and drive away from a room in the front of the house. He immediately went back to his room and his desk, logged onto his laptop's account and brought up the vid-phone option. His skilled fingers moved over the keys and dialed a familiar number. The image of the pretty brunette came up instantly.

"Lady Une here."

"Hn."

"Have you reached your destination, Preventer Yuy?"

"I got in earlier today."

"Has the Vice Foreign Minister seen you?"

"No."

"Well, seeing you or not, you have a job to do. There is a severe threat on Relena at this time and I want her to stay there at Quatre's mansion as long as possible while we try and sort this out. I do not think that the terrorists know where she is for the moment and I want to keep it that way until we can track the group down and eliminate the threat. Keep your eyes open, Preventer Yuy. I want nothing to happen to the Vice Foreign Minister."

"Understood. Do any of the other Preventers know of this situation?"

"No. I am keeping them out of this for the moment until we get more information. It was a giant relief for Quatre to suggest a vacation for Relena. I will inform Duo, Wufei and Trowa as soon as I know more. Bottom line is, stay put. I know you're the only one who can do this job, Yuy. Protect her at all costs."

"If I'm the only one, why did you reassign me from her?" His eyes glared at her, but she just glared back.

"Because your talents are too great to ignore and I needed you deeper in the system."

"Hn."

"Terminating transmission."

The line went dead and Heero was left with his own miserable reflection staring back at him from black screen. So no one else knew. Then how would he stay close to her? He wouldn't. He would merely watch the mansion and make sure the perimeters were secure. His stay would be as unknown as possible. It was funny how simple it sounded in his mind, but being so close to Relena and not being able to see her was probably not going to happen and he knew it. Heero desperately wanted to approach her and speak with her. To tell her the truth about what happened. Yes, what she told him scared him greatly. Almost to the point of leaving on his own, but then Une's orders went through and he was moved. He allowed her to think he had merely abandoned her. It was better that way. But there was something about her that drew him to her, even if he wasn't supposed to be anywhere close to her. That's why he spent long nights outside of her window, watching her, trailing her on the street to make sure she remained safe or in her home, just to feel like he was still a part of her life. That way, it was as if he were still watching over her all the time. Not that he was a stalker, by any means. He just needed her close to him. And he missed talking to her… about life or politics or, hell, even just the weather outside or those damn little birds and squirrels she used to watch all the time. How could he have missed how sad she was over his disappearance? He never wanted to make Relena sad, yet he had. And he had done it worse than anyone else ever could.

So he didn't just come to start over with Relena. He had an agenda. A mission, like every time he had ever tried to just… be with her. His fist hit the table with great force. But he was too preoccupied with his thoughts and didn't notice the pain or blood coming from his knuckles. It was as if he could never make himself be around her without something to do, some hidden agenda. Her safety came first, but now, it seemed her feelings and emotional well being was starting to take more precedence. He hit the table again, harder, almost causing his laptop to topple onto the floor below. The pain was starting to rear its ugly head and he clinched his teeth. He was now bleeding on the carpet so Heero went into the bathroom and washed the broken skin. A moment later he realized that someone was standing in his bedroom.

"What are you doing here, Heero?" the feminine voice asked, confirming what he already knew. He turned off the faucet and dried his hands before leaving the bathroom.

"Quatre invited me, so I decided to come." He stared into the blue-grey eyes of Duo's wife.

She folded her arms across her chest and raised one of her eyebrows in suspicion.

"Relena's in danger, isn't she?"

This woman was smarter than Heero had previously given her credit for. He did not indicate that she had hit the nail on the head.

"Heero, come on. If she's in danger… that means everyone in this house is in danger. I'm seven months pregnant! Look at me! I'm in no condition to be thrown into some kind of adventure like you and Relena always seem to get yourselves into. I've got my baby to think of. So tell me, is Relena in danger?"

"Yes. But you are not. The people after her are just some amateur retaliation group. If we find out they know where Relena is located, I'll let you know so that you and Maxwell can get out of here. I don't think the others will want to leave until it becomes necessary."

"Thank you. That's all I ask. You know Heero… you really do have bad timing."

He turned around to ask what she meant by that, but when he did, she had already left the room.

As Hilde walked down the hallway away from Heero's room she felt a sense of pride for guessing correctly. Duo's little spill earlier had made her realize that Heero did indeed came around whenever Relena was in danger without her ever knowing. That was the hardest secret to keep from her best friend, but it was truly necessary. Hilde spent the rest of the afternoon napping soundly.

**XOXOXOXO**

By that late afternoon, Relena and Lucrezia had arrived back at the villa. They had a wonderful day together and it felt as if their bond was not only the same as it was before, but now maybe even a little stronger. Lucrezia had even shared the secret that she and Milliardo were trying for a baby. Being separated for a year had made them miss each other greatly. Once back inside the house, they parted ways once more but this time only for a little while. Relena found a silent comfort in her empty room. It wasn't that she didn't want Trowa to be there, but, she needed just a few minutes to herself. Her fingers rested on the thin glass of her bedroom window as she gazed out at the lazy country side. These views of so much nature made her inwardly cringe when she thought about going back into the city and being surrounded by metal trees instead of the wooden ones. And real people were also a rarity back in the city. Unlike all of her friends and family here, they were callous and cold… almost machine-like. Much like a young Heero Yuy she could so fondly remember. But that was so long ago; maybe it was just a dream. A sigh escaped her pink lips as cerulean eyes swept over the tree tops and glistening lakes that seemed to surround the whole house.

"Relena, it seems your attention has been focused quite heavily on Trowa Barton lately."

She sighed. Her moment of blissful solitude had been broken.

"Brother… that is yet another thing you have missed out on in your absence." She said, turning around to face the tall, stoic man standing in her doorway.

"Trowa and I have recently started dating." She grinned a little, but he didn't mirror her expression.

"I can't approve of your relationship, Relena. He isn't Yuy, that's true enough, but why him? Why not date a politician like yourself? What is the fascination with Gundam pilots?"

"I don't like many of the other politicians, Milliardo. Certainly not enough to date any of them. Especially because very few are close to my age. Why can't you accept my relationship with Trowa? He is a nice person, he cares about me and he's got my best interest at heart. After all, he is my bodyguard."

"So was Maxwell."

"You know that was an accident. How dare you bring it up to attack his character?" Relena scorned, her eyes narrowing. All she could think of was that tape with Duo holding her bleeding body, sobbing and refusing to hand her over to the paramedics.

"It was an accident that nearly cost you your life. Thank God that bullet didn't hit your heart or you would have been dead before you hit the pavement."

"It's not like it really would have mattered to you if I had died. You lived almost your entire life without knowing me and then we finally stepped up to become a family when we were both adults. But I never see you, brother. You're not a constant part of my life even now, but those men that you insult so easily are."

He was cut down by her words. How could she say such things to him?

"If that's how you really feel, Relena then I must bid you good-day." He bowed slightly and left her room. It was obvious that she had hurt his feelings, but she did not follow behind him. She meant all that had been said. He would just have to get over any hurt he was feeling. She took it to heart when he insulted any of the pilots. And it didn't even matter which of them she had started dating, she could have taken a romantic interest in a politician for that matter, but none of the men she picked would ever be good enough for her in her brother's eyes.

As a deflated Milliardo walked down the extensive hallway to get to his room, he didn't even notice the blatantly open door of Heero Yuy's suite. Once back in his own room he sat dejectedly at the end of his bed.

"You just had to open your mouth, didn't you?" Lucrezia asked, emerging from the closet. She had been putting away the new clothes she bought that day on her and Relena's shopping trip. Her knowledge of her husband eliminated the need to ask what he had been doing.

"I don't think that it's a good idea, ok? I shouldn't have to explain my actions to you."

"Of course you don't. I'm only your wife and Relena's sister-in-law. What sense would that make? You forget that Trowa isn't like Heero… he's not going to run away from her."

"You know that Heero didn't run away. He was reassigned."

"Yes I do know that… but she thinks he ran. Frankly I can't believe you have yet to tell her. True she would have been hurt, but now she's hurt and plagued with guilt. She thinks it was her fault, you know. Relena really loved that boy. Probably still does, even though she finally seems to be willing to move on."

Milliardo's wife shifted her weight and put her hand on her hip as her eyebrow rose slightly. She waited for a response from her obviously ruffled husband.

"It's classified. That's why I haven't told her and you know it. That 'boy' was nothing but a menace. She is better off without him messing up her life. I refuse to have this argument with you." He stood up and left the room in a huff, slamming the door behind him. Now not only was Relena mad at him, so was his wife. What a vacation this was turning out to be. He went to find quiet sanctuary in a study somewhere else in the massive house.

Lucrezia slumped down to the bed. What to do with her husband? They fought every now and then, but really they had a good relationship and a deep love and respect for one another. He was just so damned stubborn. It was easy to see he and Relena were brother and sister. But at least Relena tended to focus her stubbornness on politics instead of her loved ones. Well, with the exception of still loving Heero after a six year absence on his part anyway. That poor boy. He didn't know what the hell to do or say around Relena. Never did. He probably thought that his reassignment came as a God sent. This was not to say Lucrezia didn't think Heero didn't love Relena. He just had no experience with anything having to do with his own emotions. Put him behind a Gundam or MS and he was fine, but leave him alone with Relena and the feelings in his heart, well that was a different story all together.

**XOXOXOXO**

Quatre sat back in his recliner in the billiard room next to his study. Duo and Wufei had engaged themselves in another game of 8-ball. His own attention rested blankly on the widescreen television set and his drink. He had found television to be a great distraction, not like there was much going on behind him except the occasional click of the billiard balls knocking into each other. This Heero issue had gotten out of hand in his mind. At first he reached the conclusion that Heero had changed his mind and come to straighten things out with Relena. But that didn't make sense. First, it wasn't Heero Yuy at all. Second, it was just did not add up. Then his mind went to the ease of which Une agreed to let Relena escape for a long weekend. That was definitely not normal behavior. Something was going on. Not being a Preventer himself, he could probably not find out the dept to which this might go but… His eyes slowly shifted over to the two men playing pool and his brain went into high gear.

"Hey guys, don't you think it's weird that Heero shows up two days after Une so readily agrees to let Relena have a vacation out here where it's pretty secluded?"

Duo stood up straight and his pupils found the top right corners of his eyes as he thought.

"Yeah, that is pretty fishy I guess. But Trowa, Wu-man and I are IN the Preventers plus they're her bodyguards so it wouldn't make sense for her not to tell us if something weird was going on."

Wufei stood in silence for several minutes before speaking. He had only just been informed of this new and very interesting situation before he and the two women had left for their shopping trip by Maxwell in the privacy of the kitchen. He was just now getting over his initial anger.

"If Une wants us to know something she'll tell us. And as far as Yuy goes you did invite him here, didn't you?"

"Yeah he did, but I've invited him to a lot more important things and he didn't show."

"We're not talking about your wedding, Maxwell," Wufei remarked sharply, rolling his eyes. Duo flushed in anger. But he didn't have time to reply.

"It's true. I did invite him but Duo has a point too. Oh well don't worry about it. Sorry I interrupted your game." Quatre waved his hand in dismissal of the issue and turned back towards the TV letting his mind sink into the dull submission of vaguely watching the local news station. The other two glanced at each other, shrugged and went back to their pool game. He had really changed. Duo supposed they all had at least a little. Quatre was more reflective and less emotional, Wufei was softer in his attitude, Trowa was wearing his heart a little more on his sleeve than he used to do and Duo himself was at least a little bit less goofy than he once was. Married life and the idea of raising another person had mellowed him slightly and he thought his actions through more. As far as the mysterious 01 went, he didn't know what to think. Duo hadn't had a real conversation with his old friend in many years. So how that once envied and private ex-pilot had changed or not changed was unbeknownst to everyone. They finished their game, in which Wufei won… again. And Duo went to the window to look out at the grounds behind Quatre's home.

Uh-oh. Relena and Trowa were walking close, hand in hand through the gardens. He hoped, no, prayed that Heero was no where near the windows watching this. Deciding to take precautions into his own hands, he nothing short of ran to find Heero and distract him from what was going on outside. How he would do this he wasn't sure of, but he'd try to think of something while on his way to Heero's room.

**XOXOXOXO**

"Trowa… thank you."

"For what?"

"For letting me know how you felt. This is a wonderful feeling. I never… I never experienced this with him."

She was, of course, talking about Heero. No, he knew that Heero was not emotional or touchy-feely in any way. He probably wouldn't have been either if it weren't for people like his sister Catherine or Quatre and Duo always around. But thanks to them, he did know what to do and how to express his feelings. And this woman that he loved so dearly could know. He unhooked his hand from hers and wrapped it affectionately around her shoulders, drawing her even closer to him. Her arm reached around his back and she held him close as well. How long had he dreamed about doing this? It must have been years. She inhaled deeply, encouraging all of her senses to remember every second of this wonderful day.

"Well I didn't exactly mean to tell you at that moment. But I'm glad you overheard." He smiled, not at her, but up at the sky. It was a very clear and sunny late afternoon. Perfect weather for the stroll they were taking.

Everything was blooming out in the gardens and the heavy aroma of the fresh flowers hung in the air around the two new lovers, embracing them as he embraced her now. A few gardeners waved or at least smiled as they passed by. Quatre had a large staff here but they tended to stay out of the way. Trowa found himself wishing their walk could last forever. His rational mind reminded him that it could not. But that did not mean he couldn't enjoy ever second of it while it lasted. He put his free hand in the depth of his pocket and placed a long kiss on the side of her head. She smiled widely. Her high-heeled strapped sandals kept sinking into the rich, moist soil of the gardens but that was the only thing wrong with today, she decided. Yes, she had fought with her brother earlier, but they were adults and would get over it. Right now, she made up her mind that this relationship with Trowa was worth her time and effort. Who knew? This might be the right thing for her after all.

They continued their late afternoon stroll through Quatre's extensive garden areas, completely unaware of the cold, hard pair of eyes watching them from the distance.

**XOXOXOXO**

Duo rounded the corners of the mansion hurrying as quickly as he could to reach Heero's room. Nearly running into it full force, he managed to stop just in time. He breathed in deeply and crossed his fingers that Heero was so busy with other things he wouldn't be paying attention at all outside of his window. Duo's hand reached to turn the knob, but found the door locked. He sighed. Damn Heero and his privacy. So after rattling the doorknob some more, he knocked loudly. His ears could barely pick up the sound of Heero's grunting in discontent from the other side of the door.

"Who is it?" The stern voice asked.

"It's me," Duo pled.

"Not now, Maxwell. I'm busy."

"Come on Heero! You know me; I'm just going to keep pestering you until you do what I want!" Duo threatened back to his dead-pan friend.

After a few seconds of silence on both of their parts, Heero opened the door just wide enough for Duo to get a small peek into the room. All of the curtains were drawn shut, blocking out all views of the outdoors and sunlight. On the desktop Duo could just barely make out blueprints and several official looking documents thanks to the glow of Heero's laptop screen which wasn't far from the mess. Heero shifted to block anymore peeking on Duo's part.

"What do you want, Maxwell?"

His eyes seemed so distant and clouded it was pretty frightening for Duo to stare into them.

"Come with me. Quatre wants to speak to you." Duo changed his tone to match the somber look in Heero's eyes.

Heero exhaled loudly, looked behind him in doubt of leaving such important things just lying out and turned back to Duo.

"Hold on."

He shut the door and Duo heard the faint rustling of cloth and papers being shuffled around. Shortly after he had closed the door it opened again and he stepped out in the hall to join Duo. Something shiny caught Duo's eye and he saw that Heero now held a key in his hands. Whatever was in that room was obviously very confidential and not meant to be seen by any body in the house. Also, it would instantly give away that Heero was there to anyone that didn't already know. The key turned and clicked in the lock and they were off to the billiard room once more. His mood was so quiet, Duo did not know if Heero had indeed seen Relena and Trowa being so close from the window or not.

Duo wasn't being goofy or trying to ask him a million different questions for the moment. Heero wondered what could be up. Or maybe Duo had changed. No that was impossible. Not everyone could have changed so dramatically.

"So Heero, what are you working on in there? Why not come out and see everyone? It's not like we've seen you for quite some time."

"I can't discuss what I'm working on. I also figure that none of you are bursting at the seams to see me."

"I know one person that is… But I think you blew that one already." Duo remarked quietly. But not so quietly Heero did not hear it. His words were harsh, but true and Heero knew this. The relationship he once had with Relena was probably long destroyed. They never spoke aloud at what they had, but each of them knew. Relena and he had shared all of their major milestones together so that was something. Maybe it wouldn't be too late to fix it. He hoped anyway. But there were more important things going on… unfortunately.

When they entered the billiard room, Duo quickly made his way to a very confused Quatre and shoved him towards the window. The blonde man instantly spotted Trowa and Relena and started to understand.

"I told Heero you wanted to talk to him, so here he is." Duo chuckled, almost too nervously. His laugh died down to a mere smile and Quatre took a seat in the recliner he had previously been occupying. As he told Heero to have a seat his finger hit the power button on the remote control and the television clicked off behind him. Heero seemed unsure for a moment. To him it seemed he was about to be ambushed, so he didn't think it best to sit and leave himself vulnerable. All eyes were on him and had it been any later in the evening you could have heard the crickets chirping outside.

"It's fine, Heero. Please sit down." Quatre asked again, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Once he had loosened up just a bit, he sat down in the recliner opposite Quatre, his eyes holding fast onto the unwavering light blue ones of his former comrade. What could be going on here? Could they be onto him? Maybe Lady Une had informed them, but she would have informed him too… probably before them. So that couldn't be it.

"Heero… why are you here?"

"You invited me. I came."

"Come on Heero… do you think we're that gullible? We were soldiers too and we got to know you. We also know about the kind of relationship you have with Relena. You're here for a reason and we want to get to the bottom of it."

So that was it. They were all suspicious of him. Not that they shouldn't be… he was there for a reason. And it was not completely his heart. Had there been no ulterior motive, he probably wouldn't have been there at all. It made him a little sad but not enough so much to let it show. He turned his attention momentarily to the window but Maxwell moved and blocked his view of the sunset outside. It was annoying so he turned his focus back to Quatre.

"Well if your only concern is the relationship I have, or had, with Relena then you can rest at ease. I don't plan on making my presence known. It's obvious that my actions all those years ago made her sad so I don't plan on reopening that wound for her. The reason I'm here will be made clear to you soon enough."

"You think you're so high and mighty, don't you?" The monotone voice of the Chinese pilot shot back.

"What are you talking about?" Heero glared back.

"Not that I want her to see you, but would it have been too much to ask of the great Heero Yuy for a phone call? No… The damage that you did to that woman scared her much like that bullet wound above her heart. But she might not be the same woman you left behind who loved you. Maybe she doesn't even want you anymore."

"Who do you think you are to talk to me about emotions or love, Chang? At least what I had with Relena was real for a little while. You can't even get to that point with Preventer Po."

That was it. Wufei's eyes flashed in anger, warning 01 that he had crossed the line bringing Sally into this spat. She had nothing to do with this. Heero glared back.

"Enough." Quatre spoke forcefully. He didn't want to get like this, worked up and emotional, but it was starting to happen.

"Heero… what were you thinking? We were your friends and Relena… she loved you. Wasn't that enough? Couldn't you at least try to accept us like we did you?" Duo said this without a trace of a smile on his lips, but a look in his eyes that made Heero's chest feel hollow suddenly. The braided pilot was staring out the window at the sinking sun and it was apparent he dared not look at any one of the others while he spoke. Instead he focused on the pair of unaware lovers finally disappearing into the house. He let his breath he had been holding out.

There was nothing left to say on Heero's part. If he could have left the villa right then he would have. His presence was visibly not wanted. The revelation of how he had hurt the people he had once been closest too was almost too much to bear, but at the same time he told himself he didn't need any of them. He had survived alone for fifteen, almost sixteen, years before he ever met them in the first place and for the past six he had been fine as well. Maybe not fine… but at least he had gotten on. With the other pilots and Relena he used to feel like he had a family. But he deserted them and couldn't change his actions now. It was far too late for that. He stood up and excused himself mumbling something about business to attend to.

Quatre's eyes sank to the floor with the dull thud of the door closing behind Heero. He felt as if he could cry. It was not so very long ago he thought everything was fine. He had figured that Relena and Heero would confess their love and get married and all would be right with the world they had all played apart in changing so much for the better. But that didn't happen in any sense. The closer Relena got to Heero, the more he tried to distance himself from her. An old soldier trick… never get close because you become weak if they're taken from you or killed. So by putting up that mental block against Relena's love he could think clearly if something bad happened to her as it was prone to do. It was possible, Quatre assumed, Heero felt that he could try to mend bridges all these years. Maybe he was ready to love her but she was finally ready to love another… How confusing this all was.

**XOXOXOXO**

Milliardo had sat watching Relena and Trowa out in the garden during their entire time out there. He hoped she wasn't setting herself up for heartbreak once more. It was certain that she clearly had feelings for this new man in her life. Her brother felt slightly devastated because he knew that his sister, perhaps, loved too much for her own good. She trusted too much for her own good. Her heart was far too large. And yet… he envied her a little for it.

His hand went up to rub his forehead as a mild headache set in. The clinking of a glass being set down next to him brought him away from his musings. Lucrezia extended her palm so he could take the two aspirin sitting in it. Taking the pills and washing them down quickly with the glass of water he felt better. Milliardo pulled his wife close and rested his forehead on her abdomen while she stood in front of him running her hands gracefully through his long hair, like she would a pool of water.

"Oh honey… can't you see she's not the sixteen year old girl you reunited with so many years ago? She's a woman now. And if she makes a few mistakes in love those are her mistakes to make and learn from. You can't be anything more than supportive of her."

Milliardo did not speak a reply; he merely listened to what his wise mate had to say. He sighed in defeat. Of course she was right. Relena was no longer a child for him to boss around like big brothers tend to do. And if she loved or trusted too much or her heart was too big… well maybe those weren't bad qualities to have after all. He wrapped his arms around his wife's midsection and as he stood, he lifted her across his shoulder with great ease.

"Milliardo what in heavens name are you doing?"

"Come on… we've got a baby to try for. I can't let all this parenting go to waste," he halfway laughed. She smiled as he carried her off to their room.

**XOXOXOXO**

Trowa stood nearby as Relena grabbed a soda from the refrigerator. They were silent there for a short time until Trowa approached her. She blushed at his proximity.

"You're beautiful. Have I told you that today?" He asked, smiling widely.

"No… not directly anyway." She said, turning her eyes downward as her cheeks flared from embarrassment. He lifted her chin up so she was now looking into his eyes. Her hand, seeming to act on its own, found its way to his face. She had never thought she would be so comfortable touching another man like this, but she was. Her heartbeat had picked up in pace, but in a good way. She felt shivers in her chest and wanted to close the gap between their lips. But then, for some reason she could not understand, she slowly backed away.

"I'm sorry, Trowa. I just can't right yet. I have to clear things up in my head first."

He looked defeated, but reassured her it was ok and extended his hand for her to take. And she did. Instead of eating with the group that night, they spent the evening on the sofa of her room talking about the old days, her childhood, his childhood and his sister Catherine. He felt like he got to know her better than before and that, although not a kiss, was a nice step to take.

**XOXOXOXO**

"Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, go on… what is it?"

"Agent Yuy arrived today. And no one has spotted us or even suspected we're near by. You were right, him being here is going to make this mission all the more easier. They'll all be so distracted with their little gathering and Yuy, Barton and the Vice Foreign Minister no one will even see us coming!"

"I told you… be patient and wait for my move. This is going to be like cake. The poor Vice Foreign Minister won't even know what's going on. Be on your guard though… Yuy is tricky."

"Right. Ending transmission."

**XOXOXOXO**

Author's Note: Ooh! What's going to happen next? Anyway, thank you to all those who have reviewed so far! I love the input and hope that you keep reading, reviewing and enjoying and to all those who have not reviewed… what are you waiting for?! Please leave any comments, compliments or suggestions in a little review.

Look for another update sometime next month! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!


	3. Misery Loves Company

AN: In this chapter, we will get a little more history with Heero and Relena. So be prepared for a few flashbacks (which will be represented by being in _italics _just so you know).

Also, to those of you who have reviewed: Thank you so much! Having your feedback really inspires me to keep pushing forward. To those who have yet to review, please consider dropping even just a small one. They help a lot.

Now, on with the story!

**XOXOXOXO**

_Chapter Three: Misery Loves Company_

**XOXOXOXO**

Relena awoke from her long, relaxing sleep to the dawn of the second day of her vacation. So much had happened that she was glad that it was finally a little quieter; it was unfortunate that she did not even realize what was brewing under the surface. She wanted to make sure her brother was ok. It came to her realization the night before when Trowa had been talking about his sister Catherine that her own brother loved her very much, even if he didn't always show it effectively. She stretched and let out a slow yawn, her eyes still adjusting to the sunlight pouring in through her windows. How would she ever go back to her other life? Politics was fulfilling in some ways, but left her tired and lonely. Here, with her friends and lack of responsibilities, she was rested and felt loved by all around her, especially by Trowa. She could feel it just by standing next to him. It made her sad to think of going back to the office. But then again, vacations were not meant to last forever. And the extra rest had really been a miracle. So maybe the paperwork and proposals wouldn't be so bad for a while after this. Relena shifted around from her stomach to her side and looked over to her couch. Trowa wasn't there; instead she was greeted by the onyx eyes of her Chinese bodyguard.

"Oh, Wufei, I didn't realize you were here already. Good morning." She said. Her voice was very sleepy. He smiled at her.

"I got here a few minutes ago. I figured Barton needs a good rest."

"Yes. I suppose you're right. You haven't had much to do lately… Ok then. Trowa gets today off to so that he can rest."

She rolled out of bed completely and stretched again while on her way to the bathroom. Relena took a nice long shower, which was another luxury she didn't get to enjoy often, and spent a while after her shower to actually pamper herself. She spread a layer of lotion over her legs and arms, clipped and painted her toenails and finished up by taking time to apply her make up nicely. She changed into a pair of white Capri pants, a loose blue tunic style shirt and her wedge lace up sandals. It was amazing how nice she felt. Better than she had in a long time. Before leaving the bathroom completely, she sprayed on some of her lightly scented perfume.

The last time she had fixed herself up so much, she was getting ready to spend an evening with Heero… He wasn't affectionate with her in public, but in private he seemed to bear his soul a little tiny bit more and make more of an effort to touch her in some way. The small expressions of affection ranged from a kiss here and there, the rare hug, the grazing of his hand over hers and, her favorite, when he would run his hands through her hair. She had suggested they eat dinner together. She would have her chef cook something special and it would be a nice meal they could share. Relena dressed up even though she figured Heero would just be in his work uniform. She was pleasantly surprised when she saw him in a starched white dress shirt and black slacks. He had smiled sheepishly at her when she came into the room.

_"Heero. You look very nice."_

_"So do you." He smiled. She knew he meant it. He moved over to the opposite side of the table and pulled out her chair. She bowed her head in thanks and took her seat. Before moving away from her side to take his own seat, he lingered next to her and ran his index and middle fingers through her hair. It was a simple gesture that he had always done to express his affection for her. She took his hand and held it against her cheek for just another moment before he moved away. The staff had laid out the table very nicely. Candles and flowers decorated the normally bare tabletop. They ate with simple conversation. He would ask about various proposals, she would inquire about any recent security problems. They were comfortable topics that the two often talked about. Sometimes she didn't want to be so comfortable though. She wanted to ask him personal things. So, she figured why not?_

_"Heero… Do you remember your mother at all?"_

_The air became stiff. He looked up to her and she found an unreadable expression on his face. Like he didn't know what to say to her question. _

_"Why would you ask something like that?"_

_"I've known you for so long and yet I seem to know nothing of your past except for what Dr. J told me. And that wasn't a lot… plus, you know so much about me. You were there for most of the big events of my life." _

_He was silent for a few minutes as he looked down at his plate of food. Then slowly, quietly, he began to speak._

_"I don't remember much about my mother. Just that she was calm and calculated most of the time. I was only six the last time I saw her. I think she was tall and had really dark hair. I also remember her eyes being so similar to mine. She passed me off to Dr. J, making him promise to take care of me. They spoke for a little while in private and then she left. Dr. J told me later that she was sick and didn't want me to see her weak. She didn't want me to be weak either. Before she left me there with him, she took me aside where he couldn't hear us. I only remember this because she was so sad when she told me… that I should never forget how to love. No matter how much I might hate her at that moment for leaving me. I gave her a hug, but it seems I did forget how to love. Or at least… I learned how to set love aside, how to block it out so that I could focus…"_

_"On a mission." Relena finished for him._

_"…Yes. On a mission."_

_"Please excuse me." She said suddenly, pushing her chair back quickly and exiting the room. She heard his footsteps following close behind her._

_"Am I just a mission Heero?! Please answer me!"_

_The footsteps stopped. She halted and turned to face him. She was about to say something about how she would always be just a mission to him, just a juvenile promise he wanted to keep for his own selfish pride. But her mouth didn't get the chance. He silenced her before she ever could begin speaking by covering her mouth with his own. _

At the time she thought it was just a romantic gesture to answer her question, but after he disappeared when she told him of her feelings, she realized that it was just a distraction from the question. A very nice distraction, but a distraction none-the-less. There were other ways he distracted her as well…ways that she would not soon forget. She thought all of that was to convince her of his love so he did not have to say it out loud. But it wasn't. And she felt like a fool for letting herself believe that in the first place. Relena really did want to believe it though. Even right then, as she felt so foolish, in the back of her mind she still wanted to believe it. That he had kissed her, among other things, to tell her he really did love her.

She finally emerged from the bathroom, more sullen than she had been before going in. Plus, she had said it herself; Trowa would have the day off. Wufei noticed the downward turn her mood had taken, but he just figured it was because Barton would not be alongside her that morning and afternoon.

"Wufei I need to go and speak to my brother. You can escort me there, but I would prefer to speak to him alone if you don't mind."

He nodded his head in agreement. That small bit of privacy could be allowed. So he followed her as she walked towards her brother's guest room. Her memories of Heero still bothering the back of her mind, and she didn't even realize that en route to Milliard's room how close she really was.

"I'll be just a moment, Wufei. Thank you."

He nodded respectfully and then took his stance next to the doorframe after she had disappeared into the room.

She found her brother sitting at a desk across the room from her. Lucrezia was no where in sight. Relena assumed her sister-in-law was already downstairs eating breakfast with all of the others. She cleared her throat to make her presence known. Millardo sat his pen down and slowly turned so that he was facing her.

"Milliardo," she started slowly, "I wanted to apologize. My behavior yesterday was out of line and juvenile. I know that you meant well. You're my brother. My family. I don't want there to be bitter feelings between us."

He turned his face downward as he gathered together what he wanted to say in his mind. Then he rose to his feet and approached her.

"Relena. You might not be as close to me as those Gundam pilots, and that's ok. But you're my sister. I knew you when you were just a baby. I was your big brother then and I'm still your big brother today. I will worry about you as long as we're both living. But I do understand now that you have the right to explore your own relationships. I will not pester you on this whole issue of Trowa Barton any more. He seems like an honorable person. But so help me; if he hurts you like Yuy did, I will kill him myself."

She stifled a small laugh and wrapped her arms tight around his waist in a big hug. This is what he missed all of his life. The one thing he wanted to enjoy growing up with a baby sister. Hugs, fights and the strong bond of siblinghood were all things he had longed for when he was young. But he had to wait until now to experience it. As he brought his arms around her, equally as tight, he placed a chaste kiss on the top of her head and silently thanked the Heavens above that he actually got to be reunited with Relena. Not as an army general or an opposing force like at first, but as her brother. Fighting on the same side of the ideas their real father once had.

Relena broke away from the embrace and wiped the tears from her cheek.

"Thank you, Milliardo. I presume you will be joining everyone for breakfast?"

"Yes, you presume correctly."

"Then might I have the honor of being escorted?"

He smiled at her and followed her lead out the door, quickly offering his arm for her to take. Wufei followed close behind as they all proceeded down to the breakfast room.

Downstairs could be described as near chaos, but more hilarious than anything else. A bird flew around, in a panicked state as Hilde screamed, Duo shoved food into his mouth mumbling something about it 'just being a bird', Trowa ignored the whole situation while quietly reading his newspaper, Quatre yelled for the butler to get a broom, Lucrezia and Sally searched all of the cabinets for something to catch the creature and Dorothy ran around trying to open all the windows and doors. Relena, Milliardo and Wufei stood in stunned silence. All of this commotion over a bird? It seemed silly. The bird swooped down and Relena ducked quickly to avoid it making contact with her head. She let out a little startled shriek as she avoided it. A few people, including Trowa, realized that the trio had arrived.

"Milliardo! Come help us get this thing out of here! It's going to make a mess!" Lucrezia demanded.

"Wufei, you help too!" Sally called.

"I'll close the other doors!" Relena offered quickly.

Once that fiasco was over and the bird was finally shooed out by the conjoined efforts of Milliardo and Quatre's butler, Hugh, they took their plates of hot breakfast food and went to sit at the outdoor eating area. It was a cool morning and the crew ate and laughed about the morning ordeal for almost an hour before returning inside.

**XOXOXOXO**

The lone 01 sat in his room milling over a multitude of documents. His steady, trained eyes searched over every number in the data base. The phone records for each upper level department of Preventers HQ were laid before him in front of his computer monitor. On the monitor itself were constantly changing images of surveillance cameras from each area of Quatre's mansion. This was a big job. Quatre's place was large. He could not fully concentrate on both the cameras and the massive lists of incoming and outgoing calls for all of the higher security departments in Preventers. He nearly growled out loud. How could he protect Relena fully when there was no way to do it all simultaneously? He was the Perfect Soldier, which meant that he should be able to do this single handedly, but he was also only human. Despite several rumors going around his department that argued otherwise.

He dropped his pencil and leaned back in his chair. Since the first light of dawn he had been at this stuff. A sigh rose from deep in his chest and he let it slowly slip over his lips. Heero cursed out loud as he pulled up his video phone and dialed the number of his supervisor.

"Une here." She greeted with an emotionless smile.

"Une, I need for you to brief the others as soon as possible. I can only do so much at one time. I believe you might have a mole there at HQ, so I'm trying to investigate that on top of Relena's immediate safety. The sooner they're briefed of the situation, the sooner I can get some assistance with this mission and the sooner Relena is actually safe from this group."

"You truly believe there is someone undercover here, Preventer Yuy?"

"Yes. I wouldn't put it past them. I'm also going to do checks of calls taking place inside the mansion. Just in case. It's better to overestimate the enemy than underestimate."

"Agreed. I will contact the others, including Quatre since it is his residence, and see to it that you have a helping hand in your deeper investigations."

"You better tell Duo to take Hilde home as well. This could be a more dangerous situation than we know and it's best she be safe in her condition."

"I will let them know as soon as possible, Heero. You must protect the Vice Foreign Minister. We've had too many close calls in the past. Let's nip this one in the bud."

"Understood."

And with that, he closed the video feed on his secure line. Hopefully, within the next few hours he would have some help and then they could more reliably track the group's progress. It was unusual, Heero mused, for a group leader to not make his presence known. Or even a fake leader so the real one could control the operation from deep in the shadows. A puppeteer controlling his minions every moves, hopefully so well that no one would see the strings leading up to himself. But so far, this group had been harder to track than the others, which is why he and Une believed them to be amateurs. Or at least, they hoped the group was armatures. Because the other option was they were far more intelligent than the rest. The only reason they knew about them at all was because of one single letter that Une received two months before. It was simple and untraceable.

_"Preventer Yuy, I need you in my office now."_

_"What is it, Une? I'm very busy."_

_"Now, Heero."_

_The line went dead and he knew that she was serious. She hardly ever used his first name when addressing him formally. So he set aside his current work and quickly strode to his superior's office. She was standing in front of her desk with a solitary piece of paper in her hand. He didn't say a word and neither did she; she merely handed him the paper and his eyes carefully read what was typed._

_'The Vice Foreign Minister will die. This false peace will crumble soon. Just wait and see.'_

_"What the Hell is this?"_

_"I wish I knew, Yuy. No one knows how it got in here either. It's the great mystery of our time. Security saw no one suspicious and the cameras failed to catch them too."_

_It was at that moment Heero's first suspicions of someone actually IN Preventers surfaced. They upped Relena's security for several weeks, when there was no other contact from the 'terrorists' they lowered it again. But they put Heero on the job to keep a close watch. Then, a week before Quatre suggested her vacation, another note appeared. This time on the front door of Preventers HQ. It defiantly stated, 'Soon… Just wait and see.'_

_When Quatre told Une about wanting Relena to take some time off, Une agreed wholeheartedly. She knew that Quatre was out of the way and highly secured. Plus, she could send Heero and everyone would either not know at all or if they did it, didn't matter anyway because Quatre had sent him an invitation. Une had given Quatre Heero's contact number some time ago when he had requested it numerous times. _

The note did not instill any new fears in Heero for Relena's safety. She was constantly in danger because of her political position and such adamant opposition wanting to make itself known to the world. In the past, Heero had found himself one step behind that opposition. And it had nearly cost Relena her life twice. He could never forgive himself for those instances. He still carried them around in the back of his mind to this day. Those were the most frightening times he could remember. Not any event in all his recollection could compare to those moments. Those were and always would be proof of a promise that was broken between the two. That day she was shot stood out more than even the kidnapping, in his mind. The kidnapping was brief and she bore no mental or physical trauma from it because she had been strong and they had found her quickly. But the other affair was a different matter. When he arrived at that hospital it was something he could never forget.

_He threw the doors open with such fury the nurses jumped in shock. They tried to stop him, but he just pushed them aside like rag dolls, demanding to know where they had taken Relena. One nurse finally blurted that they had taken her to the Intensive Care Unit. He was off. When he rounded that corner everyone's mouths dropped in shock. Zechs stood to stop him from going anywhere near Relena, but Heero turned around and landed his fist into the Lightning Count's abdomen hard enough to knock the breath out of him. _

_"Don't get in my way." He warned, his fist still buried in Zechs' middle. _

_Right before reaching the double doors leading to where she was, a doctor stopped him. _

_"Sir, you can't go in there! It is not time for visitors yet! Ms. Peacecraft is being prepped for surgery as we speak!"_

_"I'm going in there whether you like it or not," he growled. His eyes glared in a death like stare and the doctor shrunk away in fear, pushing the admittance button as he backed up._

_"Heero! What the Hell do you think you're doing?!" Duo yelled, boldly. Heero turned around slowly and looked at the braided man with such intensity in his eyes he thought his head would explode. _

_"I'm…going…to…see…Relena Right now."_

_"The Hell you are."_

_"Excuse me?!"_

_"You heard me. You're not seeing her. This is your fault!"_

_"Don't you mean it's your fault? You were her bodyguard on duty, correct?" Heero's voice became low and challenging, provoking the other man further._

_"Yes. But if it had been you, this wouldn't have happened!"_

_"But it wasn't me. It was you. And it did happen."_

_The silence became so thick, and everyone was so pale from listening in, Heero thought someone else might loose it too. Before he knew it, a bloodstained Duo had Heero pinned against the wall._

_"Don't try to blame this on me, Heero! It's your fault and you know it! You shouldn't have left. You're nothing but a soulless coward!! I can't believe you were my friend."_

_"I never asked for your friendship."_

_Duo threw a punch so full of hurt and violence it nearly knocked Heero to the ground. As he toppled to his side, he grabbed Duo around the waist and threw him to the floor. Duo's fist made contact one more time with Heero's face before a nurse came and took Duo away, probably to sedate him. Heero wiped the blood from his nose nonchalantly and continued on to Relena's room. She was being prepped for surgery. The open wound was covered by gauze bandages, but they were stained with her deep red blood. He could see the ash around the mound of blood-soaked gauze. Both indicated that the shooter was fairly close range. His eyes moved from the sight of her wound to her face and that's when he could feel his heart in his throat. Her skin looked clammy and more pale than usual. He felt himself flinch. The nurses moved in frightened silence around the stoic man as they continued getting her ready. He lowered himself to sit next to her on the small bed. Her breath was coming in shallow gasps. His hand covered hers but he could barely feel her skin because of the interference of IVs burrowed deep in her veins. Heero fought the strange, yet familiar emotions he was feeling. _

_'This could be it,' he thought. 'She could die… Relena…'_

_It was like a nightmare he couldn't wake from. Heero bent and placed a fleeting kiss on her forehead. He tried in vain to remind himself that she was strong; far stronger than he could ever hope to be. His mouth moved to her ear, like when they first met, but this time instead of a grim warning he found himself saying something far different._

_"Don't die. Relena you can't die. You still have work to do and you can't leave me yet. I need you. Plus, that's my job, remember? To leave…"_

"That's my job," he repeated to himself, "Relena…"

He picked up the pencil again only to toss it across the room before going to wash his face and attempt to regain his composure.

**XOXOXOXO**

Relena swept her hair up and attempted to make as nice a bun as possible. But her hair had become long again and it took several tries. She figured her messing up was a subconscious effort to keep focused on that task instead of what she really wanted to be thinking of. A certain pilot with chocolate brown hair and eyes that resembled the late night sky kept making his way into her thoughts. She tried to push him away, but he was persistent. Her fingers fumbled yet again and she started over for the fifth time.

_'Heero,'_ she couldn't help but think. Her fingers worked faster, finally securing the hair in the right spot with a few bobby pins. A few wisps framed her face and her bangs slowly detached from the top of her hair back down to her forehead. She decided after studying her reflection that it was good enough. Her attention went to the window and she frowned. Heavy rain clouds hung span across the entirety of the sky, efficiently blocking out the sun. A low rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. As if her mood wasn't bad enough, now it would soon be raining outside. Relena stood and exited her room, Wufei followed close behind. The thunder became louder. She didn't have a destination in mind as she wandered through the halls. Wufei silently prayed that Heero would have his door shut, where ever he was located in the mansion.

"Wufei," she broke his train of thought, "would you please walk beside me and not behind? I prefer it. Then it's like you're not just walking with me for the sole purpose of protecting me."

He knew why she thought that way. In all of their time together, Heero had never really told her whether or not Relena was anything more than an obligation or job. Wufei quickened his pace to match hers and strode in silence next to her. He did not ask where she was heading to because frankly he didn't care. His gaze shifted from the hallway stretched out in front of him over to her. Her eyes were downward again, almost hidden by her dark blonde bangs. Something was troubling her. He guessed it was either the weather, not being with Trowa or the least favorable, yet most obvious, option, Heero. He did something so uncharacteristic it nearly shocked him. His hand went from its rigid position by his side, up to her shoulder. She was obviously startled by this when she stopped in her tracks and turned her questioning eyes to him.

"Wufei?"

"Don't be sad. It doesn't suite you."

She just nodded and smiled.

"I don't wish to be sad, Wufei. I never wished to be sad…" She trailed off, turning her focus, once more, toward the carpet. The smile stayed on her lips, but she didn't mean it.

So that was it. It was Yuy she was thinking of.

_'How odd for her thoughts to be on him instead of Barton.' _Wufei thought to himself. He assumed it was her budding relationship with Barton, or quite possibly, she could feel Heero's aura nearby as if their souls were connected. His hand remained on her shoulder until they began to walk again. She worried him a lot lately. Slipping into her memories as often as she tended to do was never good. Relena would not let him go, even though he made no evident endeavor to hang onto her. He supposed Heero did the usual Heero things like following her and watching from the shadows, but no more than that. And if Heero did miss whatever it was that he had with Relena, he deserved an award for acting like he didn't.

**XOXOXOXO**

This time, the pilot found in the library was Trowa. His long slender fingers slowly turned the pages of a mildly interesting crime novel found on one of the multitudes of shelves. His thoughts were focused no where except for his reading material. He had no reason to worry over Relena, for she was safe with Wufei and he would see her later that evening when his shift began. So he was enjoying the quiet solitude in the company of the books. The sky outside was becoming ever more threatening and he wondered if they might loose power. Not like it would be a huge thing if they did. He imagined a night of telling stories among the group while drinking next to the giant fireplace in Quatre's den area; which would be just fine by him, honestly. His eyes felt heavy as they continued to scan over the words of the novel, the lazy feeling of the afternoon was catching up to him. He wasn't used to this. His life had never been laid back. From growing up on the battlefields, to working on mobile suites even up until about a year ago his life had been nothing if not interesting. Now it seemed more routine and he supposed this is how it felt to have a normal life. But that was only a suspicion since he wouldn't really know for sure. A yawn escaped from between his lips but before his eyelids could become too much heavier Quatre entered the room.

"Une is on the vid-phone. She would like all of us, except for whoever is with Relena of course, to be present."

Trowa nodded, tabbed the page he had been on in his book and followed his blonde friend. He didn't know what this was all about, but didn't find himself stressing now because there was nothing to be done about it. He followed Quatre into another room of his house where the vid-phone was up and Duo was sitting patiently.

"Alright, Une. This is all of us. Wufei is currently with Relena."

"Very good, Quatre. I'm sorry to interrupt your day but some urgent news has come to us here at Preventers. Relena is under immediate danger as the situation stands at this moment. Agent Yuy has been tracking the group targeting her for several weeks now and needs assistance. He is monitoring Quatre's grounds and residence as we speak, but he is also in the process of seeking out a possible mole both here and there at your house, Quatre. I don't care which of you, Duo or Trowa, help Agent Yuy but he will require at least one of you. Preferably both."

All three men were silent and Duo's mouth had, at some point, fallen open.

"Une, not to be disrespectful or anything, but did you refer to Heero as 'Agent Yuy'?" Duo asked in disbelief.

"Yes I did. Don't tell me… he didn't inform you, did he?," she sighed and shook her head before going on, "Six years ago it was my decision to relocate Heero to a deeper level of Preventers because his talents were too great to continue to ignore, which in turn caused him to abandon his position of guarding the Vice-Foreign Minister. Are there any more questions?"

"No, Lady Une, I think we can handle it from here. Duo and I will help Yuy as much as we can." Trowa said, fighting every inch of himself to conceal the shock. No one had even informed him that Heero was there on the premises and now he was finding out the other man didn't even leave Relena voluntarily. It was his boss's actions that took him away from Relena.

"Very good, Preventer Barton. I will check in with you periodically. Oh, and Duo," she paused, giving him time to look at the screen again, "I realize the situation with you and Hilde is delicate. I would not want her in harms way. Therefore, I will send a shuttle and an escort to the nearest launch site to wait for her. You must understand that I will need you to stay at the mansion as long as it takes to make sure this threat is taken care of."

"As long as Hilde isn't in any danger then I'll stay here. I'll send her to the shuttle site by this evening." He agreed. He knew that Hilde wouldn't like it, but he wouldn't hear of her staying anywhere near the mansion if there was something treacherous going on.

"Alright then, keep in contact with me here at HQ. And, as I said, I will keep tabs on the mission there as well." She signed off, and the screen went blank.

The three sat in silence for only a moment.

"I'll go brief Wufei on the situation." Quatre said, promptly excusing himself.

Trowa waited a moment before leaving as well, which left Duo alone with his thoughts.

This was borderline ridiculous in his mind. How could Heero have been so close and still all of the bad things that happened happen? He was sure his old friend was holding onto those horrible things in his heart just as much as he was, and that thought alone made him feel just a little closer to Heero again. But not all the way; it would probably take a long time for Duo to accept Heero like he once had. As tough as Heero tried to act, Duo knew that he held onto things more than most other people, just like the rest of them. Mistakes and losses were not taken lightly among the lot of the ex-Gundam pilots. He also felt confused because now, in this new light, he realized Heero did not just leave them all for the sole purpose of leaving. But why didn't he tell anyone? Maybe because it was easier on him to let everyone think he was simply gone again. Disappeared into thin air like he was famous for in the past. But Relena… She had been devastated. This, too, probably took a toll on the former 01's heart because he never wanted Relena to be sad. Not that Duo could remember, anyway. Yes, he had threatened to kill her the first few times they met (Relena had told Duo about those events from her and Heero's younger days) but then he made that promise to protect her. Which was broken in every way. This was also, more than likely, not sitting well with Heero. But Duo realized that these were all presumptions on his part. It would take Heero telling his side of the story for him to know for sure. But if Heero was anything like he used to be, then he was certain his presumptions were correct.

He finally stood up and left to find Hilde. She wasn't going to like him staying behind, but it was the least he could do for Relena. He still felt the heavy guilt from being her bodyguard and in his mind was still trying to find ways to make up for it.

**XOXOXOXO**

Rain poured from the bottoms of the dark clouds as thunder clapped off in the distance. She wanted to just get in bed and end this miserable day early, but Hilde and Dorothy were keeping her company so she did not. Relena brushed her hair off of her shoulders and stole one last glance at the rain before going back to her seat.

They had gathered in her bedroom for afternoon tea and had been chatting for some time. Wufei stood vigilant watch as he leaned against the wall near the door. Though his eyes were closed his ears were keen and listening for anything that sounded suspicious. When he blocked out the women's voices, he could hear quite well anywhere else. Like, for instance, the soft set of footsteps approaching in the hall way. But he knew that walk. Slow and determined. It was surely Quatre.

"Wufei, might I speak to you for a moment?" Quatre asked, poking his face into the doorway. He had been right, as if there was any doubt.

"Yes," he replied, taking one more look at the three women before following Quatre into the hall.

"Wufei, we have a situation. And it might be a lot to take in, so brace your self."

"Spit it out, Quatre."

"Alright… well, it seems Heero is still with Preventers. And the reason he is here is because there is a terrorist group after Relena. He was sent by Une to investigate and protect her."

"He actually told you all of this?"

"No. Duo, Trowa and I just got off the vid-phone with Lady Une. She told us everything."

Wufei felt the need to sit down. Everything he had thought was false. So this meant that Heero… didn't leave Relena on his own free will. Then Trowa didn't stand a chance. Because if Relena still felt half of what she used to feel for Yuy, then her new relationship was over.

"She still doesn't know he's here, but I fear that with this close proximity, it will be sooner than later that she'll find out. She'll never forgive us for keeping this a secret from her." Quatre remarked quietly.

"Barton was there when all this came out in the open?"

"Yeah."

"Damn it." He hissed.

"I think it was a shock for both Duo and Trowa… for very different reasons of course. You can go on back in if you're ready to. That's all I needed to tell you."

"Thank you for filling me in on the situation."

"You're welcome. Stay calm for Relena's sake."

"Of course."

Quatre nodded his head once, and then left Wufei standing alone in the hallway. The Chinese man crossed his arms in worry and stood silent for a few minutes before emerging back into the room of women.

They had noticed his absence and all looked at him suspiciously when he slipped back into the room. But his silence prevented any questions on his part. Relena eyed him longer than he liked. She wasn't stupid and could easily tell that something was up. Fortunately, she must have decided to dismiss it for now as she asked him for a few moments alone with Hilde and Dorothy. They had been having a private discussion. He nodded his head and stepped back out into the hallway, honoring her wishes.

"Relena, you're being very quiet." Hilde said.

"I know. I apologize."

"There's something on your mind today. Has been for a while now, am I right, Ms. Relena?" Dorothy commented, before bringing the tea cup to her lips.

Relena turned her attention to the window. By watching the rain and gathering her thoughts in a diplomatic manner, she temporarily escaped the question posed to her. Heero had been on her mind all day. And she just couldn't shake his memory no matter how hard she tried. Wufei had been worrying about her, telling her not to dwell on the past and cheer up (in his own way of course) but each time she tried, he just kept coming back.

"Relena? Do you think you'll get married?" Hilde asked, out of the blue.

"What?" Relena said, thrown by the sudden question. Dorothy shot Hilde an inquisitive gaze as well, but quickly turned focus to Relena to see how she would answer the question.

Hilde glanced down at her wedding ring and said, "I don't know, I just always could picture your wedding as this grand ceremony like no one had ever seen before."

"I don't know, Hilde. It's hard to say anymore. Like you and the rest of the world, I'm sure, thought by this time in my life I would already be married. It's not that I'm totally against the idea of marriage anymore but I lost touch with the romance of the idea. The giddy stolen looks at bridal magazines, a sweeping glance across a wedding gown boutique window… It all seemed so wonderful. But it was a long time ago."

"Why would it stop, Relena?" Dorothy asked quietly.

"Because the groom disappeared." Relena all but sighed.

The other women looked down in awkward silence.

"Relena," Dorothy began, "if he were to come back. If you two were to reunite, would you still feel the way you do? Would you still want to marry Heero?"

"I wish I could say no. But I can't honestly say that. My brain tells me to let him go and embrace Trowa and all of his wonderful ways, but at the same time, my heart is desperately holding on to Heero. And I have always had trouble ignoring my heart. It's not that I don't feel like I could get that close to Trowa, in fact, it seems he would be so easy to love. That fact alone frightens me. But I'm holding back, even physically. Yesterday he went to kiss me, but I couldn't let him. I pulled away without even thinking about it."

Dorothy and Hilde caught each others glance for just a moment before Hilde took over.

"I didn't realize you still felt so strongly. But your relationship with Trowa is still so new. You just need time to settle into it, both mentally and physically. Trowa will give you the time you need, if you really want to be with him."

"Yes, I know. Thank you for listening. Both of you." She took a long sip of her tea.

Now Hilde was torn in two. She wanted to tell Relena that Heero was there. That he was still watching out for her and, knowing Heero, still loving her as well. But then, at the same time, she didn't want to tell her friend because she knew that Trowa deserved this fair shot at love. Now, though, she was wondering if Relena could really be the one to give him that love. Her heart was so clearly Heero's. Oh what to do… and she knew that Dorothy was going through the same mental anguish.

"If you will so kindly excuse me, Relena, I need to go and check to make sure there are lamps in all the common rooms. The storm seems to have picked up quite a bit and I would like to be certain the house stays mostly lit if we happen to lose electricity this evening." Dorothy explained, setting her cup and saucer down.

"Of course, Dorothy. I'll see you at dinner."

They nodded to each other and she exited the room, giving Wufei the heads up that it was ok to go back in.

Joining Wufei in his entrance was Duo. He smiled awkwardly.

"Duo, is something wrong?" Hilde asked, noticing the discomfort on her husbands face.

"I need to talk to you… alone."

She agreed and attempted to escape from the chair, but was having a difficult time. Relena saw this and instantly stopped her best friend.

"You stay, Hilde, I'll step outside with Wufei to give you two some privacy."

"Hey thanks, Relena." Duo smiled. She curtsied to him slightly and closed the door behind her bodyguard and herself.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Hilde asked. He slowly came to her and crouched down by her knees, looking up into her indigo eyes.

"It's Heero."

"Oh no… what has he done now? Is he gone?"

"He never left, Hilde. The guy never left. Une reassigned him deeper in Preventers."

"What?! But… why didn't he tell anyone? Why didn't he keep in contact with anyone?"

And by anyone, she of course meant Relena.

"I'm not sure, but if I had to take a guess I'd say because it's just easier to let everyone believe he abandoned everybody. Including her. I think it got to be too much for him. Too much emotional bondage by us and Relena especially. But that's just a theory, you know."

"My God. This changes so much."

"Why? The honest facts are the same. He left everyone. It just wasn't his choice."

"That's what makes it different, Duo. It wasn't his choice. He didn't just leave because he wanted to or because it was the easy way out. He left because he was commanded to take another job. Now, yes, it's his fault for not keeping tabs on Relena but who's to say he didn't? He was always there when she needed him. And, if I had to go out on a limb, I'd say he was the old Heero in following her around and watching her from behind the scenes. He can't really separate himself from her. He never has."

"I just want to hear him say it! I want to hear him say he loves her. And I'll be damned if this vacation goes by and I don't get him to say it. To her or anyone that will listen. If I have to beat it out of him. Because the moment he sees her and Trowa together… that's when he'll crack. And I'll be there to pounce on him."

"She needs to hear him say that… I won't argue with that. But if you force it out, then how will you know it's real?"

"I'll know. But there's something else I need to talk to you about, babe."

"What?"

"It's about the reason Heero's here. Relena, she's in a lot of danger as it stands right now and we, Une and I, want you safe. So she's sending a shuttle and an escort, to pick you up and take you home."

"Aren't you coming too?"

"No… Une has asked me to stay until this has cleared up. I'm sorry."

"Then I'm not going. I won't leave without you."

"Damn it Hilde, think about what you're saying! You're pregnant and if anything happened to you or our kid I would never forgive myself. I'll come home when this thing is over."

"You swear?"

"I swear. Now, will you please go home where you're safe?"

"Yes. I'll go. I'll have to make up an excuse to Relena. I'm assuming she still doesn't know about any of this?"

"No, not yet anyway. We're trying not to worry her by keeping it under wraps for the moment."

"I understand. But she's going to be very upset when she finds out about Heero. I'll go pack and say my goodbyes."

"I'll help you," he offered his hands and pulled her up out of the chair.

Out in the hallway, Hilde told Relena that a dear friend was ill and desperately needed Hilde to come back a few days early to help keep her children while she recovered. And also that she had insisted that Duo stay and enjoy the other pilots just a little while longer. Relena hugged her and told her that they must get together again soon, and she insisted on seeing the baby the moment it arrived. They laughed and Hilde left with Duo close behind to go pack her things.

"Wufei, something isn't right here."

He kept his eyes focused straight ahead.

"You might not be under clearance to tell me what's going on right now, but at least tell me one thing. When are we going home?"

"I'm not sure at the moment." He replied in all honesty. She was too smart for their own good. At this pace, she would uncover the deeper secret of Heero's presence faster than any of them bargained for.

"I see. Well then, that explains Hilde's sudden departure. I'm going to lay down, Wufei. This day is not one of my best. Send Trowa in when he comes on duty, please. But until then, keep watch out here. I need some privacy for a while."

She sought sanctuary in her quarters once more, flicking off the lights as she came in and shut the door so the only light came from the outside. A grey atmosphere instantly blanketed the room and rain tapped harshly at her windows. What a miserable afternoon it was. She got into bed after removing her shoes, still wearing her clothes from that day, and covered her head with the comforter. Maybe when she woke again from her nap, things would be changed for the better.

**XOXOXOXO**

Trowa sat in the library once more, but even though he tried to focus his attention on the novel before him, it was in vain. Now, in stark contrast from before, his thoughts darted around quicker than the bolts of lightning outside. This was a disturbing situation indeed. Surely Sally, Lucrezia and Milliardo all knew of this, but had been keeping it from the rest of them because Heero himself didn't tell anyone. Therefore, it hadn't been their place. He felt a wave of nausea flood his conscious. Heero. He was so close, yet seemed so far away. A presence that just would not go away. He could still remember the days after Heero had disappeared. Relena was a mess. She just sat at her desk, staring blankly at the documents piling up before her. Every now and then, the tears would come and as much as he had wanted to embrace her, he dared not. Now he questioned his being with her all together. It was just a charade. As soon as Heero entered the picture again, things would go back to the way they had always been and he would be alone again. He didn't want to go back to that. So he decided to try and woo her as much as possible before the inevitable happened. That way, even if he was rejected, he could have fond memories to look back on one day.

He sighed roughly. Never, until he had met Cathy, had he ever felt like he needed anyone. Nor would he want to need anyone. But then, he was almost positive that's how Heero felt about Relena as well. But Cathy and he had a more open relationship, a sibling relationship. And thought they spent time apart now more than ever, he would never just leave her for six years. So therefore, it boggled his mind how Heero had set Relena aside for that long. Trowa decided that if Heero was able to fess up to an explanation of his actions and prove that he truly loved Relena like no other, then he would bow out gracefully. Otherwise, he would fight for her with everything he had.

A quiet knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in."

"Trowa… are you ok? I know that was a blow." Quatre asked. Trowa would not meet his gaze.

"I suppose so. Why didn't anyone tell me that Heero was here? I mean, you all knew, right?"

"Yeah… we were in the kitchen when he got here yesterday. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to put any strain on you."

"So you've spoken to him."

"Yes. A few times."

"Has he mentioned her at all?"

"Not directly. But I think he wants to talk to her. Something about unfinished business."

Trowa knew exactly what Heero meant by that. Relena had told him about Heero leaving after she had revealed her feelings him.

_"I told him I loved him once, you know. Then he was gone."_

"I don't stand a chance anymore with her. The minute she finds out Heero's here is the moment she kisses me goodbye."

"Well, it was always a possibility that Heero would come back. And in her heart, she's always going to love him. They bonded when they needed the other the most. Like you and Catherine or Duo and Hilde. They're connected."

"I'm going to fight for her, Quatre. Unless he tells me and Relena that he loves her, he better be prepared. I will not give up on her so easily."

"Trowa I have a great idea. What would make him feel the absolute need to fight for Relena's feelings? To make him realize he had to tell her how he felt?"

Trowa gave Quatre a bewildered look in reply.

"He has to see you two together. The other pilots and I have been hiding your relationship, but that's the opposite of what we need to be doing! When he sees you together he'll be insanely jealous and he'll have to realize that it's now or never."

"Maybe. And if he doesn't then it will get him used to seeing us together. Relena means the world to me and I won't see her get hurt again. Even if it means pushing Yuy out of her mind for good."

Quatre smiled and nodded, turning his attention to the rain pouring against the window pane. He mentally patted himself on the back.

**XOXOXOXO**

Milliardo was in the middle of a good book and as comfortable as he thought possible on the sofa of their room with his wife lying against his chest, asleep, when his vid-phone began to beep. The incoming call must have been important as he had given strict orders not to be disturbed unless of an emergency while on vacation. He heaved a great sigh and carefully moved from under Lucrezia's weight so as to not disturb her slumber.

"Milliardo here."

"We have a situation and you need to be in on it."

"What, Une? Unless it's an emergency I don't care to know about it."

"It's Relena. She's in danger."

"I'm listening."

"A group of terrorists are after her. It is entirely possible they are there at the mansion and here in headquarters. I have Yuy there checking into both scenarios and have just informed the other Preventers there as well. Your assistance is crucial as well."

"Yuy is here at the mansion? Since when?!"

"Since yesterday. I sent him myself. We need our best men on this and I believe they are all there with her now. As her brother and a high level officer, I felt it necessary to keep you informed now that we might be closing in on who is after her."

"I appreciate it. I'll be in touch."

She nodded in respect and terminated the connection.

"Seems like things are about to get a lot more interesting," Lucrezia said from her spot on the couch.

"Indeed," he found himself grunting. He needed a drink; a strong one.

**XOXOXOXO**

The man sat in the dark room, the flashing lightning illuminating his sharp facial features. He stared at his commander in the vid-phone. The safe connection was rough, but he could still make out instructions.

"How soon?"

"Go for the one leaving tonight. We'll use her as bait to lure in the Vice Foreign Minister and her goons."

"You think that's a good idea? She's pregnant and all… they're going to be all over us."

"Heh. If they can find us."

"Preventer Yuy is on the case and all."

"Do it. It's not your job to ask questions."

"The others and I will take care of her as soon as that car gets a safe distance from the mansion."

"Good. We will achieve our goals and succeed where so many others have failed."

The screen went black leaving the puppet rebel in the dark once more. A twisted grin spread across his face as he slowly laughed.

"She will fall to us."

**XOXOXOXO**

Well, I REALLY apologize for the long wait. I'll try to be more prompt on the next one I swear! Things should be getting good in the next chapter. Hehehehe.

Pleeeease leave a review for me!

MUAH!


	4. Now or Never

Chapter Four: Now or Never

XOXOXO

Duo sat in the backseat of the car, bouncing along with the bumps in the road. He felt so strange doing this. Within the next hour during this trip to the shuttle pad, his life could possibly end. Yes, the circumstance of 'life in danger' wasn't exactly new for him but now things were different and he didn't have the 'come what may' attitude from the old days. He might never see his wife again or be able to witness the birth of their child he had been looking forward to for all seven months of her pregnancy. But he also knew that if it were her in the seat he was presently occupying, that would be worse than death. So he swallowed hard and forced a typical Duo grin across his lips. If they tried to harm him, he would go out in a blaze of glory and it would be just like when he was a hero in the war. Sure, these guys might not move to kill him right away but it was always an ultimate possibility. First he felt for the large firearm concealed beneath his heavy black rain coat, and then he scratched at the injection site on his lower back.

"_Duo, you realize we can't really send Hilde to that launch site." Heero said in the darkness of his room, illuminated only by the flickering off-white glow of his computer screen. _

"_Yeah, I figured as much. I mean, I'm not as stupid as I look."_

_Heero cocked an eyebrow at this. Sally took that opportunity to butt in. _

"_I've spoken to Lady Une from this room because I fear that Heero is the only one with a safe location in this house. There could be bugs everywhere if the enemy is indeed somewhere here around the manor, which is exactly why we can't send Hilde. They'll probably be expecting her. Best case scenario, there won't be any trouble at all, but worst case… she could end up kidnapped with her life in danger."_

"_I won't put her in that situation, Sally."_

"_I know. And no one wants that either. We realize that she is safer here at the house with the pilots and such."_

"_So you were anticipating this before she even suggested sending Hilde home?" Duo asked, wide-eyed._

"_We need to lure these people out. If we send out bait, they'll be hungry for it because they ultimately want Relena. They want to harm her or worse...," Heero said, but did not finish. _

"_Duo, you have to go in Hilde's place. We are suspicious they're watching this house very closely," Sally took over._

"_What if they take me? How will you guys find me?"_

"_I want to inject this into your bloodstream," Sally said, holding up a tiny chip._

"_Won't they be able to see that in an X-ray or something?"_

"_No chance. It's a plastic homing chip. No test will reveal it and we will be able to see your exact location from Heero's computer."_

"_Heh! Why didn't we put one of those in Heero six years ago?!" Duo laughed. _

_Heero just narrowed his stare viciously._

"_But seriously, how will we get that out of me when you come and get me?"_

"_Um… well, Duo, we won't be able to. It will be in you permanently."_

"_Great. Now Hilde will always know where I am." Duo rolled his eyes._

"_This is no time for your joking. We have to hurry." Heero scorned._

"_I see you're still as fun as ever."_

"_Hn."_

"_Duo… maybe you should go and talk to Hilde. But do it in a secure location." Sally told him, tenderly. _

"_No. I don't want to worry her any more than I already have. Just stick that thing in me and let's get this show on the road. Plus, if she stops packing and they realize she's in the house they'll know it's a trap we're laying for them."_

"_That's why we're going to take her to Quatre's underground panic room. She will continue to pack for her trip and Quatre will escort her to the garage entrance. No body will be getting in there. And when the time is right, we'll move Relena there as well."_

"_One question, Sal."_

"_What, Duo?"_

"_How do you know for sure that Heero has the only safe location?"_

"_Because I scoured this room to perfection and have set up an airtight secure line for incoming and outgoing communication. I'm a hacker for a reason." Heero sneered. _

"_Works for me. Ok, let's do this." _

So now he was just waiting for them to make their move. Hilde was hopefully safe in that panic room by now and Relena was probably beginning to untangle this knotted up mess they had laid in front of her. He stared out the window, watching the heavy rainfall and waiting. Which, in fact, had never been an easy task for the ex-God of Death.

**XOXOXO**

Heero watched his monitor with expert eyes, all the while letting his mind concentrate on other things. Trowa would be in to begin helping him any minute now. The added help would be good as he would be able to do a more effective job, but he was sure the awkwardness between them would be almost distracting. He and Trowa had gotten along well enough in the past, but it would be the first time in six years they were in the same room together and that was sure to present some degree of uncertainty. He had interacted on this trip with all of the pilots except for the very silent, thoughtful 04. Heero wondered for a second if Trowa still saw much of his circus performing sister. He knew that the ex-pilot had a strong bond with the woman but also had been one of Relena's bodyguards since the attempted assassination which would have put an intense strain on their closeness. Both Trowa and Wufei had done, overall, an ok job of protecting her. Nothing like he could have done of course, but fair enough that he felt no need to step in. She wouldn't want to see him anyway.

_"I can't discuss what I'm working on. I also figure that none of you are bursting at the seams to see me."_

_"I know one person that is… But I think you blew that one already." _

Maybe she did want to see him. But first he had to protect her and get her out of this spot she was in. Her safety would always come first. Not like her actual presence was really needed much at all in the political arena anymore. Everyone, including the president of the earth sphere alliance, had agreed with her views on total neutrality. Alright, not everyone. Hence the retaliation groups that reared up every so often and the occasional adamant politician who swore up and down that Peace was nothing more than an illusion or something like that. So maybe there was still a need for her to be a politician after all. It wasn't that he wanted her assassinated. But he knew that she was tired. He had watched her many a night fall asleep just after eating dinner or not even eating dinner at all just to get another hour in. Truth be told, he was worried about her. And maybe stepping down from her position would strengthen her physically. However, that wouldn't be the Relena he knew so well. She was nothing without that surge her job gave her. Her heart longed to keep peace established for earth and space, and so she would keep doing it as long as she thought she was needed even if she was tired. Heero found himself questioning if she thought of him often before he let her name fall into the dark room.

"Relena," he whispered hoarsely.

"Heero. It's been a while," Trowa's low monotone voice stated cautiously from the door. He had successfully and silently picked Heero's lock.

"I would have let you in if you knocked," Heero scorned, getting up to fix his door.

Trowa didn't move for a few seconds as Heero stood. He almost doubted his own vision when he saw Heero Yuy staring back at him. His eyes hadn't changed at all. They were still shrouded in mystery and still managed to give him a threatening aura. In fact, Trowa noticed, not much at all had actually changed in Yuy's appearance. He was tall, thin and had an unruly mop of messy dark brown hair just like he always had.

"You gonna stare at me all night or are we actually going to get some work done?" Heero cocked his eyebrow sarcastically before brushing past him to inspect the tampered doorknob and lock.

"I suppose it would be better to take a picture. No telling how long you'll actually be here this time to stare at."

Heero pretended not to hear the comment and pointed at the screen behind him as he continued to examine.

"You watch that. If anything suspicious comes up, let me know. I have to sort through all these phone archives and I need full concentration to do so. Got it?"

"It's not rocket science. I think I can handle it."

Trowa sat down and grabbed a clipboard full of blank paper that had been previously unused and a pen.

"I can only stay for a little while, Heero. Wufei will have to sit in for me when seven o'clock rolls around. That's when I start my shift with Relena and I don't want her to think anything is up."

"Understood," Heero responded nonchalantly, never looking up from his current task. When he determined that nothing was broken and the lock still worked, he moved back to his other business.

Trowa wondered to himself while watching the monitors if Heero might have actually seen him with Relena already. If that were the case, which he was already beginning to seriously doubt, the ex-comrade would probably be a tiny bit more hostile then usual. So, wiping that idea from the slate, he focused all of his attention to the ever changing camera angles. Making notes on what was where and such just to be all encompassing. Every single detail was important now. He found himself hoping they would get to the bad guys first this time. Usually, or at least lately, it was the other way around. He heard Heero as his fingers shuffled through the mounds of phone lists. Unlike the pilot seated behind him who had access to all those deeper levels of Preventers, Trowa had a limited understanding of what went on in headquarters. Which was fine with him because then he didn't have any added stress or sense of responsibility. His only concern was Relena's safety and well-being. It had been that way for some time now. Before then, he was under Lucrezia's department in infiltration. He would go undercover to investigate possible threatening groups. That was the deepest he'd gone in Preventers. Maybe if Duo had stayed on as Relena's bodyguard he would have been moved further into the depths of the system as well. His new position, though, was much better than he could have wanted. He made a friend in her and even a new relationship was formed. Every time the image from her bedroom popped up, it only stayed for a few seconds but he took special note of every single thing in her room. Just making sure she was still safe and sound, sleeping peacefully beneath the sheets of her bed.

In his mind, he was already making plans for their night together. He wanted to do something special and memorable. Something romantic for just the two of them and, for Quatre's sake and maybe Relena's too, he would allow it to be public enough for Heero to see on the monitors. Then they would all see if Heero would really take the steps to get Relena back. Trowa's heart was nearly breaking in his chest at the thought of having to let go of Relena after just now getting her to himself. It had been a good thing between them. He had helped make her smile and she made him smile too. If they were destined to be nothing more than good friends in the end, so be it. Trowa might have been in love with Relena, but he was no fool. He realized that she and Heero Yuy's fates were, more than likely, meant to stay overlapped for the rest of their days and he could accept that. Letting her go in the end would be the price of his love. He took a deep breath and then stole one final glance back over his shoulder at his rival for Relena's heart. The other man was buried in his thoughts and paperwork, but feeling Trowa's stare, his eyes came up to meet the gaze.

"What are you looking at?" Heero asked, suspiciously.

"Nothing. It really has been a long time, Heero. That's all," Trowa lied, turning his attention back to the screen.

"Hn." Heero's eyes narrowed. Something was up with Barton.

He could feel Heero continue to stare at him for another moment before he was sure the dark eyes of his ex-comrade had shifted. He let out a silent breath and continued to watch the screens. So far, nothing suspicious had occurred. So far.

**XOXOXO**

Wufei sat in the company of Sally Po for the second time this vacation. They found themselves this time in a darkened room near Relena's instead of the library. They did not dare speak of anything having to do with terrorists and therefore it felt like they were on a secret mission. Plus, Sally realized that Wufei had no clue yet that Duo had been sent in place of his wife. Illumination came in sporadic bursts from the bolts of lightning flashing in the clouds outside.

"Do you think he will say it?" Sally pondered, sticking to safe subjects like Heero and Relena's personal soap opera.

"How should I know," Wufei sighed, "I have no idea what the man is thinking anymore. Not that I had much of a clue before he disappeared."

"Yes, but if presented with evidence of Trowa and Relena's relationship I think that will definitely push him to giving a response."

"You're probably right."

"Up for a game of chess? Or are you still sore from the last loss to me?" She smiled.

He smirked before taking his seat behind the marble chess set and she flicked a lamp on behind them so they could actually see the game pieces before them.

"I'll have to beat you quickly. I go on duty in an hour."

"Wufei you know I beat you every time."

Their one game lasted through the entire hour and when their time was up, Wufei stood to leave. He hated to leave her company since she did not demand conversation on his part most of the time.

"Don't worry. You'll win one of these days." Sally laughed at him.

He didn't reply to her comment and was about to make his exit when she spoke again, but this time her voice sounded much different. It had lost its usual confidence.

"Um, Wufei, might I ask you a question?"

"What is it?" He turned to her.

"Would you ever leave? You know… and not tell anyone?" She asked, trying to avoid eye contact.

"I wouldn't do that."

"Good."

He knew that question was loaded, and likewise, she knew that his answer was equally loaded. She hoped he could tell that she did indeed worry about him and care about him. As he left, Sally turned off the light behind her and sat in the peaceful darkness of the room, wordlessly observing the storm brewing outside of her window and praying for Duo's safety. They had put him in a hard situation, but he took it on like the brave soldier he had once been. These men in her life were so heroic and willing to do anything to preserve peace that it nearly brought tears to her eyes sometimes. She had been by herself most of this vacation and now she felt a little lonely with Wufei's sudden departure so she went to find Lucrezia and see what she and Milliardo were up to.

Since she had been working at Preventers and she and Lucrezia were both higher levels, the two had bonded and become friends.

**XOXOXO**

"You're going to put holes in the carpet," Lucrezia mentioned to Milliardo who had not stopped pacing since he received the news of both the terrorists and Yuy's presence. She was stretched out on the couch, feeling lethargic.

"I can't believe he was snooping around here the whole time and I wasn't even informed." He sulked, ignoring Lucrezia's warning for the carpet. Evidently, Heero was the bigger issue for Milliardo than the terrorists and the fact that Relena's life was in danger.

"Une and Heero kept it to themselves until there was more information available, obviously. There's nothing we can do now except offer him our assistance." She watched as her husbands eyes narrowed greatly in disgust.

"Why do you hate him so?" She found herself asking.

"I have never trusted him. The death in that boys eyes when first we met so many years ago. I could almost smell the blood of all his victims whenever I was even in close proximity. And then he supposedly atones for his sins against the world and mankind by helping Relena end the war. Then he ends up breaking her heart."

"Like you had never done that? By, I don't know, disappearing just like he did, staying out of contact, and not even acting like her sibling during the tail end of the war when she needed you most?"

"I am not Heero Yuy."

"Are you not? You are not innocent of never taking a life, Milliardo. You are not innocent of abandoning Relena and you were at one time the most hailed mobile suite pilot around, just as he was the most skilled Gundam pilot the world had ever seen. Plus, you both love her. Even through all that. You both still love her."

"How can you be so sure Yuy loves Relena still?"

"A woman knows these things."

He didn't have time to respond when a soft tap at the door was heard.

"Come in," Lucrezia beckoned.

Sally let herself in.

"Hello, Sally. You ok today?" Lucrezia noticed the somber look on her friend's face.

"I'm fine. Just worried about Hilde," she said, adding dramatic effect just in case someone was listening in.

"What about Hilde?"

"We sent her home a little earlier and I am just thinking it might not have been the safest thing to do."

She was now convinced her acting could win an award.

"Are you and Une out of your minds? There are terrorists after Relena out here after all and you sent a pregnant woman, not to mention one of Relena's closest friends, out without any protection from them?"

"We sent an escort."

"Pfft! An escort might take a bullet but what if they hold her hostage?"

"She'll be fine, Milliardo. We don't have any evidence that they would know she's on her way to the shuttle site. She'll be ok."

The air had become tense. Sally wanted to tell them the truth, but it could jeopardize everything. It was better if they believed the lie she had laid before them so easily.

"Lucrezia, would you like to join me downstairs for a drink?" Sally offered after a few seconds.

"Sure."

"Bring me one when you come back. And make it a strong one." Milliardo mentioned, retreating to the bathroom. The two women smiled weakly at each other and made their way downstairs.

**XOXOXO**

She sat nervously tapping her fingers. This was terrible. Now it was her husband's life that truly was in danger and all she could do was be stuck in Quatre's panic room of sorts and wait for news. There was enough food and furniture down there to keep her comfortable and Quatre had promised to come and check on her after a bit when he knew he wouldn't be missed, but that was almost an hour ago. Duo would practically be at the launch site by now, if he had made it at all. Hilde felt like she could cry. She rubbed her hands nervously over her swollen stomach and began to talk out loud to her unborn child.

"Your daddy is a brave man, you know. He might end up in trouble this go around, but don't worry. No, we mustn't worry because he can get out of it just fine and then he'll come back to both of us. He was a hero back in the war, you know. He, Uncle Quatre, Uncle Trowa, Uncle Wufei and Uncle Heero were all pilots of impressive battle suits called Gundams. That's how we met. I tried to help him because he was so sincere and there weren't many like him back then."

She continued the story to calm herself down and take her mind off what might be happening to Duo at that moment.

"Hilde? Are you ok?" Dorothy ventured, coming down into the safe room.

"Yes I'm fine."

"I heard you talking, are you sure you're ok?"

"I was just trying to calm myself down by talking to the baby."

"I see."

"Has anyone heard from Duo yet?"

"No not yet. Sally is tracking him though thru Heero's computer system. Not everyone knows that it wasn't you to actually leave so we're all trying to downplay it until we hear something."

Hilde lowered herself uneasily into a recliner, letting out a grunt as she plopped down. It was as difficult to sit down as it was to get up.

"I'm just worried."

"Understandable. Duo is a good man and a commendable fighter though. I'm sure he'll come out of this laughing."

"I certainly hope so. If I never saw that stupid grin of his again… I don't know what I would do, honestly."

"Don't talk like that. Hilde, we won't let anything happen to Duo."

"You're being awfully nice. I don't think I'm used to this yet."

"Me neither."

They both laughed and when the laughter died down Dorothy put her hand over Hilde's.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'll sit with you for a while. Would you like some tea?"

"That would be great."

**XOXOXO**

Relena was still lying in her bed mostly hidden under the sheets with her eyes closed, but she was awake. With her eyes closed, blocking out any outside visuals, she could concentrate more closely on the sounds of the room and the storm. She took a few long, deep breaths and tried to stop a tear from escaping the corner of her eye. Even though Trowa was there for her and would more than likely do anything for her, she still wanted Heero so bad she could almost feel him wrap those strong arms of his around her one more time… protecting her from all the bad in the world. Especially now that she had figured out that something was going on. As much as she wanted to speak his name, she couldn't. She wouldn't. But it didn't stop her from saying it in her head.

"_Oh Heero… why do you haunt me so? What did I do to deserve this cruel fate bestowed on me by you? Why did I ever have to fall so hard in the first place?"_

"Relena, you're awake, aren't you?"

It wasn't really a question as it was more like a statement.

"Yes."

"Then why haven't you opened your eyes?"

"I'm listening to the rain, Trowa. Close your eyes for a moment and listen. It's very soothing."

Thunder and lightning cracked in the distance, probably taking down one of the many trees surrounding Quatre's home, and the lights flickered for just the slightest millisecond. He closed his eyes and listened to the unsteady rhythm of the rain on the window pane and the slow, steady roll of thunder in the background. It was relaxing. As he opened his eyes, he found hers open too.

"I'm glad you're here," she sighed.

"Something on your mind?"

"No… It just hasn't been the best day for me."

He sat unobtrusively at the foot of her bed, surveying her casually. She stretched and his heart rate picked up in pace faintly. He had always been attracted to Relena. Her small form, smooth skin and silky hair had never failed to intrigue him. How he had sometimes longed to claim her for himself. Now was one of those times. That would get him a one way ticket to the hospital though, with Heero watching. Somehow, that almost made it more dangerous and worth it. He almost laughed at himself and his thoughts.

"What are you thinking about, Trowa?"

"Nothing. Listen, I have plans for us tonight."  
"Oh?" She smiled, "What kind of plans?"

Suddenly Relena realized how long it had been since she was last in the intimate company of a man. But she knew that as much as she might fantasize about being with another man, if she went through with it she would hate herself. Heero had been her first because she loved him and she thought he loved her too. On the other hand, was she really supposed to live the rest of her days like a nun; in complete chastity because Heero wasn't there? What if she and Trowa eventually got more physical? Relena nearly shook her head outright. That bridge would be crossed when they came to it. Until then, she would just have to put her physical needs aside.

Trowa smiled at first, remembering his most recent conversation with Quatre.

"_I want to do something special for her."_

"_Where Heero can see, right?"_

"_Of course. But I also want it to be for us too. Not just a show for Heero."_

"_Ok, what do you want to do?"_

"_Have your staff prepare the ballroom for us. I want it to look fantastic. I know they only have a little over an hour, but I'm sure they can do something. And let the chef know we'll need a nice dinner. Just for the two of us."_

"_I'm sure they can pull it off just fine. Thanks, Trowa. I know that you realize what this could mean in the long run."_

"_I do. I just want her to be happy. And if that's with Heero, then so be it."_

"_Don't worry. Tonight will be great. I'll go inform the staff."_

"_Thank you, Quatre."_

"I have arranged a surprise for you. Meet me in the ballroom at eight. That gives you an hour to get ready. Dress nicely."

"I'll be there."

He stood up from the end of her bed, came closer, kissed her hand then left the room.

A surprise? How romantic. But she hadn't brought any of her fancy dresses. Well, her pretty white sundress would have to do then. It was not evening wear or even a cocktail dress, but it was all she had, so it would have to do.

Relena got up out of bed and went to the closet to change and get herself freshened up again. She was suddenly glad she had pampered herself earlier in the day.

**XOXOXO**

An hour later at eight o'clock almost on the dot, Relena entered the ballroom. She took in a quick breath. All of the miniature potted trees lining the massive floor to ceiling windows were covered in small twinkling white lights; the main lights were turned down low, a table sat off to the side decorated in a massive fresh floral arrangement and tall dripping candles. There were two serving trays, covered with silver lids also sitting on each side of the table and a bottle of champagne sat chilling in a silver bucket next to the table. The sounds of a soft, muted trumpet and piano floated through the air. It was beautiful; magical almost.

"Looks nice, huh?" Trowa asked, coming up behind her. He was always so stealth and quiet, she never heard him enter the room. He came around in front of her and she was nicely surprised. He was wearing a very nice pair of black slacks and a buttoned long-sleeve blue shirt.

"Trowa it's so wonderful. Did you do all this for me?"

"I did. Now let's sit down and eat before the food gets cold."

She locked her hand into the crook of his arm and he escorted her to their table. They dined on delicately prepared seafood and an array of mixed steamed vegetables marinated in mouthwatering seasoning and finished their meal with a glass or two of champagne. Dinner conversation started out on subjects like the threat and her underlying fear that maybe this would be the group that actually finished her off. Then eventually they moved onto topics such as her garden and Catherine. When they were done eating and drinking Relena thanked him again.

"I still can't believe you arranged all this for me. The food was delightful."

"Yes, the cook really outdid himself. I wanted us to have this evening. I wanted it to be special for you."

"_Just in case there aren't any more…," _He thought to himself, sadly.

"Let's dance. This is a beautiful song," she said, pursing her thick pink lips into a smile. He came to her side of the table and offered his hand. She accepted it and he led them to the dance floor where a slow waltz began. She rested her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm tightly around her small waist and lowered his head to rest atop hers. He took in quiet long breaths to become nearly intoxicated by the sent of her soft hair.

The song was instrumental, but Relena knew the words and she softly sang along to the tune as they rocked back and forth in their dance. A tear was quickly forming in the corner of her eye. Trowa heard her singing with the music but did not realize the real significance of it.

"Someday when I'm awfully low, when the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you… and the way you look tonight," her voice nearly cracked as she sang the lyrics to the old melody she had fallen in love with many years ago.

It was an old song from before her time, but still she found great comfort in its words and meaning. She had sung it to Heero on many occasions.

She didn't quite know if it was the champagne taking its effect or the mood of the evening in general, but she lifted her head to stare into Trowa's beautiful green eyes and slowly, she closed the distance between their lips. She took her time and pleasure in their first kiss.

He was nearly overcome with joy and pain at the same time. Trowa struggled to remember every painstaking detail of the way her lips felt, of how it was just to embrace her tightly. And as he put his hand on her face to caress her cheek, his thumb felt the wet path of what had been her tear. Why did she cry? Was it too much for her? Did she feel sorry for him? All of his thinking was now ruining what should have been the greatest moment of his life.

Meanwhile, in a room far from where those two danced, Heero felt like his life was ending and also wanted to make Trowa experience the same feeling.

**XOXOXO**

_Eight o'clock: Heero's room_

Wufei had arrived nearly an hour ago to take over for Trowa and so far, both he and Heero had yet to venture a word to each other. The only formality had been a silent nod on both their parts for a greeting. Wufei volunteered, knowingly, to watch the surveillance cameras while Heero continued to deal with his mind numbing lists of phone numbers from Central Headquarters. This calm attitude between the two was much better than the strained one from the previous day in the billiards room.

"_When you go to assist Heero, you have to take the surveillance cameras."_

"_Why?" Wufei asked. _

_Quatre had confronted him in the hallway before going to tell the staff of Trowa's plans for an evening with Relena. _

"_Because, you will have to point out to Heero what's going to be happening at eight o'clock in the ballroom."_

"_What is happening?"_

"_Trowa has asked me to arrange for him and Relena to have a romantic evening together there. Heero must see it."_

"_Are you crazy? Yuy will rip Barton to shreds."_

"_No he won't. Well he might, but he'll also be pushed into telling us how he feels about Relena. He'll have to step in or risk losing her forever."_

"_What if he doesn't step in?"_

"_If that happens, then Relena still gets a good man and a wonderful evening."_

"_Understood."_

Now he was watching and waiting. And, at eight o'clock on the mark, Relena made her entrance. Wufei watched in hushed satisfaction as the petite woman took in her surroundings, which he had to give the staff credit for because they were quite stunning. Now… how to draw Yuy's attention to the constantly changing screen? Especially since neither had spoken at all in almost an hour.

"Hm. Looks nice." Wufei said quietly, like he was speaking only to himself.

He listened intently as Heero lifted his head. His curiosity was successfully peaked now.

"What looks nice?"

Bingo.

"Nothing. Barton has outdone himself tonight, though. Ms. Peacecraft will surely be pleased," he mentioned, reeling 01 in for the kill.

"What are you talking about?"

"Come see for yourself, Yuy. I don't want to have to explain everything to you."

He switched the top left picture to stay on camera 74 so that Heero could watch the little scenario in the ballroom unfold for himself.

Heero stood up after thinking it over for a few short seconds and approached the video feed screen with caution. After watching in unobservable horror for a few minutes he instructed Wufei to turn the audio feed on.

"Are you sure?"

"Do it, damn it."

Wufei nearly laughed out loud. Yuy was surely racked with jealousy by this point, even though the couple was merely sitting at the table enjoying their fine meal and chatting innocently. It wasn't until the meal was over and their dance began that Wufei noticed an outward change in Heero. When Relena rested her head so easily on Trowa's chest and he held her so affectionately, Wufei stole a glance at Yuy to find him significantly more pale than usual.

"What is the meaning of all this?"

"I assumed you would have figured it out by now, Yuy. But since you haven't, Ms. Peacecraft and Barton have recently announced their dating status."

Wufei could practically hear Heero's heart hit the floor.

"I see," he managed, rage creeping gradually into his voice. How could she? How could Barton? He was on the verge of going back to what he had been doing and make an attempt to put all of this new information out of his mind, when he heard it. It was so quiet he wasn't sure at first if it was really there, but it was. She was singing to him. To Barton. Relena was singing what he had considered _their_ song to Trowa Barton. If his heart hadn't been broken before, it was now. He could remember each and every time she had sang that to him. He knew every word, every note and he thought it had been special for them. He happened to miss, however, her tear that so tenderly managed its way down her cheek as she sang.

Then he felt himself snap. She kissed him. She actually kissed another man. Singing the song was one thing, but this… was intolerable. Heero would not loose. He would not relinquish her to anyone. It was do or die.

"How long has this been going on between them?" He asked of the eerily quiet Chinese man seated next to him.

"This is their second day together officially. But he has loved her for years."

"Then why are they just now together?"

"Because, you dense undeserving idiot, she still loves you. She just now is accepting someone else as you have been gone for so long. I suppose she figures you never felt the same way about her in the first place."

She couldn't still love him and be kissing Trowa. Unless, of course, it was true about her giving up on him and thinking that he didn't feel the same way about her.

"Excuse me. I'll be back soon," Heero said, blowing out of the room.

He would not be put usurped. He wanted to try with Relena from the very beginning of this get-away and now he was Hell bent on doing exactly that. Truth be told, he had always loved her, ever since they were young. But there was no way he could make himself say it before. It was time. Before she sat him aside forever and he lost her love for good.

**XOXOXO**

Wufei was sitting in satisfactory silence when an incoming transmission popped up on Heero's computer.

"Wu-man? Is that you?"

"Maxwell! Where are you?" Wufei asked, not even realizing Duo had left the mansion.

"You tell me… I'm the one with the homing chip in my ass," Duo mocked, a sideways grin on his battered face.

Wufei tried to get a clearer picture, but it was jumpy and full of static from the other ex-pilot's end. He could make out that Duo was in a dark room somewhere and look like Hell.

"What happened to you?"

"They jumped me, just like Sally and Heero said they probably would. I'm just so glad it was me instead of Hilde."

It was becoming clear to him what had happened.

"I meant what happened to your face?"

"Ugh. They beat me up pretty good, huh? I guess they were pretty pissed it was me instead of Hilde when I started opening fire on their asses. Tell Quatre that his driver is dead. I tried to save him, but they came on us too fast and their bullets hit the engine. It exploded. Lots of them are probably surrounding the mansion as we speak. Keep Relena safe, Wufei."

"We'll come and get you as soon as Yuy deciphers your current location."

"I'll be fine. As soon as you guys get here, we'll take care of these rebels. I doubt the head honcho is here though."

"Don't worry about that. Stay alive. We'll be there soon. Did you get a good look at anyone?"

"No… sorry there were too many of them. They knocked unconscious after a pretty good fight out by the road and when I came to I was alone here in this room. Tell Hilde that I love her… you know, just in case."

"Don't talk like that."

"Just do it, Wu-man. I don't have any more battery on this pocket phone… this will be my only transmission. In fact I think its pretty much-"

The screen went black. Wufei tried desperately to re-establish a connection, but it was in vain. His long-haired associate was on his own now until they could reach him.

It was time to start acting. They had sat in waiting as long as they could. He quickly got up to find the others when the lights flashed brightly followed by complete darkness.

"Shit."

**XOXOXO**

"Well, looks like the storm finally knocked out the power," Dorothy sighed, lighting the oil lamp next to her. She and Quatre had been sitting in the master bedroom reading.

"We should find the others. With the situation going on at the moment, we all need to be together."

"What about Hilde?"

"She's the only one we don't need to worry about. The generator keeps those rooms up, running and safe at all times. In fact, we all need to go down there. Especially Relena."

"That means that she'll be in the same room with Trowa and Heero!"

"I know. But it's the only way. Let's go find everyone. Grab the lamp."

They walked slowly through the halls, calling names as they went. Wufei quickly found and joined them, followed shortly by Milliardo who informed the party that Sally and Lucrezia were downstairs. Quatre interjected that Trowa and Relena were also downstairs in the ballroom. Wufei wasn't much help when he offered no assistance on Heero's location.

"He just left a few minutes ago. Didn't inform me of where he was going."

**XOXOXO**

"I knew this was going to happen," Relena sighed. Her eyes were slow to adjust to the new shroud of darkness.

"Don't worry. At least there's a little bit of light in here." Trowa pointed to the candles on the table. They made their way back to the table once more. He pulled his chair close to Relena's and placed his hand on her knee reassuringly. She covered it with her own.

"Get your hands off of her." The voice practically snarled from the deep shadows of the room.

Relena shot up in surprise, knocking her chair over backwards in the process. That voice. It couldn't really be.

"She's with me now, Heero. You'll have to get over it," Trowa threatened. If he couldn't get a confession out of Yuy by provoking him this way, at least he would be standing up for his relationship.

"You can't be serious. Now I'm going to teach you what happens when you touch Relena."

Heero moved from the shadows so rapidly, Trowa barely had time to stand up. Relena instinctively ducked off to the side as the two forces collided and their hands locked. Heero grit his teeth and was not thinking as rationally as he should have been in a fight. His emotions were getting the best of him, impairing his ability to be the cold, lethal machine he normally was.

Heero's anger and jealousy had progressively built up as he made his way downstairs from his room. By the time he reached the ballroom, he was ready to inflict some serious damage onto Trowa.

"Heero! Trowa! Stop this madness!" Relena shouted.

"How could you Relena…?" Heero managed, through his gritted teeth; the hurt in his voice slapping her in the face.

"How could I?! You're kidding, right? You're the one that left ME for six years! I didn't know where you were or even if you were still alive!"

"I never left. I just let you think I had. I was always with you."

"Liar!" Relena cried out in pain. Hot tears had begun to stream down her face in hurt and anger. And even though she wanted to hit him as hard as she could, she also wanted to hold him.

When she called him a liar, Heero's grip slipped just enough for Trowa to gain the upper hand and the fight truly began with his fist crashing into 01's face. Relena begged them to stop, but they just kept on. Heero landed several upper jabs to Trowa's abdomen and Trowa got in a few good hits to Heero's jaw. They fought and wrestled each other until Heero grabbed Trowa's upper arms and threw him into the table. As it toppled over and both it and Trowa hit the ground, the candles also fell to the floor; their flames were quickly extinguished leaving the three occupants in total darkness. The flashing lightning was the only source of light. Trowa jumped up off the floor like the acrobat he was and soon was pacing around Yuy, egging him on.

This new darkness did not cause the two ex-pilots to stop their fight. It only made it difficult to see and land solid hits on each other.

"Why are you doing this Heero?" Trowa asked. His voice was calm and controlled as he paced and prepared himself for another assault.

"You know why!"

"No I don't. You left without telling anyone, not even Relena, and now you've stepped out of the blue acting hurt at our relationship. There has to be a reason! Tell me."

Heero got so worked up at all this he temporarily forgot Relena was in the room. All he could see was red and the outline of Trowa in the dimly lit room.

"I'm doing this because I love her and you have no right to be with her! You know how I feel and yet you still made a move on her. You all know how I feel!"

"How could we know, Heero? You never told us and you certainly never told her!"

Trowa scored another good connection with Heero's ribcage.

"I didn't know how to tell her back then!" Heero replied, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

"You have to prove to me that you love her and just screaming it now in the middle of a fight doesn't prove a thing!"

This time it was Heero who lurched forward and connected his fist across Trowa's jaw. Trowa came back instantaneously with a punch that sent Heero tumbling backwards onto the floor. Relena let out a small yelp at seeing Heero hit the ground so hard.

"Why should I have to prove it to you?" he sneered.

"Alright then, don't prove it to me. Prove it to her."

Heero looked over at Relena and could vaguely make out through the darkness that she was crying. He had been such a fool. He lowered his head in disgust over himself. Once again he had made an ass of himself and made Relena sad.

"Relena…," he let out softly. She let out a tiny sob and was about to speak when they heard the others approaching.

"Relena!!" Lucrezia shouted from the corridor.

"I'm in here!" Relena called out in response, hurriedly wiping the tears from her face.

The crowd made their way into the ballroom and Relena walked to the glowing light of the oil lamp.

"Where is Trowa?" Quatre asked.

She merely pointed to the darkness behind her.

They shined the light in the direction of Relena's finger to reveal a bruised and bleeding Trowa Barton standing unsteadily in close proximity to the knocked over table; and much to their astonishment, an equally (if not more so) bruised and bleeding Heero Yuy sitting on the floor near by. He picked up his head to glance at the new light source, and then let it hang loosely between his shoulder blades once more.

"Oh dear God," Lucrezia sighed.

Milliardo shoved past his wife to see what was going on more clearly.

"What is the meaning of all this. Preventer Barton, Preventer Yuy you're both a mess. I demand an explanation this instant," he barked.

Heero continued to hang his head and Trowa was still fighting for his balance. Neither dared speak a word. The clicking of Relena's heels on the hardwood floor coming closer made Heero stiffen. As she bent down close to him he fought himself not to touch her. He didn't know if he could handle it.

"Let's get you and Trowa cleaned up," she extended her hand to him. His breathing stopped at the mention of the other man's name.

"Come on, Heero. Please."

He finally took her hand and she aided him as he stood. As soon as he was up again his hand went ridged against his side, knuckles turning white as he clenched his first. Trowa watched and could only shake his head.

Lucrezia placed a firm hand on Milliardo's chest, keeping him back and stopping further interrogations for the time being.

"Let's go on down to the safe room… its got a backup generator. We can recoup there." Quatre said.

"Where is Duo? We haven't found him yet," Lucrezia mentioned.

"We'll go downstairs and everything will be explained." Sally reassured everyone.

The members of the group who did not realize that Duo was not in the mansion at all were few, but the time had come to put everything out in the open. And that included filling Relena in on a small number of details.

**XOXOXO**

They descended into the panic room and Dorothy immediately went to warm up a pot of water to wash the two injured men's wounds with.

"Hilde?! What are you doing here?" Relena expressed what a few of the others were thinking in her exclamation.

"We sent Duo in Hilde's place," Sally explained, "You see, she's safer here and we could lay a trap for the enemy."

"Ah yes, will someone please fill me in on that? I think we're far enough alone in this fiasco that I get a fair explanation." Relena said sternly.

"Relena, there is a group of rebel terrorists after you. That is the main reason Preventer Yuy is here and the actual reason Une agreed to let you come out here," Wufei laid out for her, "also, I have received a transmission from Maxwell. He has been taken by the group and is being held somewhere I did not recognize. He mentioned a homing chip?"

"Yes. I injected him with a chip that should tell us his exact location. Is that Heero's computer?" Sally asked, finally noticing all of the things in Wufei's hands.

"It is. I brought down anything I thought would be important. All of the phone lists are here as well."

"Good thinking, Preventer Chang." Milliardo commended.

Sally took the load from Wufei and went to set it up in the next room. All the while, Relena had been staring in Heero's direction. He was only here because of orders. And he was still in Preventers. She had to talk to him.

"Dorothy, do you have a first aid kit around here? Hilde and I need to get Heero and Trowa cleaned up from their little scuffle."

"Yes. And the water is almost ready."

"Thank you. Hilde, will you tend to Trowa? Clean him up and check for broken bones. I need to speak to Heero."

Milliardo could feel himself about to object, but once again, Lucrezia placed a firm hand on him reminding him to calm down.

There were three rooms to the 'panic room;' two bedrooms and one common room. The common room was currently the only occupied room. Relena walked behind Heero into one of the quiet, unused bedrooms and flicked on the light as they entered.

"Take off your shirt, Heero. Let me see what he did to you."

He complied obediently. Dorothy soon brought her a warm washcloth and parts of the first aid kit. Relena thanked her.

She sat in front of him and examined his cuts and bruises. Her hands moved over his chest, feeling the depth of the cuts and checking for broken bones. He all the while kept silent and perfectly motionless, keeping his eyes lowered.

"He sure did do a number on you… Why didn't you tell me you were still in Preventers, Heero?"

"I thought it was best you all thought I was just gone again."

"Best for you maybe. I thought you were dead. And I know that everyone else missed you as well."

"I'm sorry."

She took the washcloth and worked it tenderly over his chest first, cleaning off the blood. She dared not look him in the eye either. As her hand went back to his face with the washcloth, he took a hold of her wrist, keeping her hand in place. He raised his eyes to stare at her face. She never even flinched. It was now his turn to ask questions.

"Why did you start dating him?"

"When I found out he had feelings for me I decided maybe I should give him a chance. I figured you were done with me and wouldn't be coming back."

"Do you love him?"

"Trowa and I both know in our hearts that I will never love anyone else like I love you, Heero."

Tears were coming to her eyes and she avoided his stare. Heero pulled her wrist, bringing her close to his face. She had an odd flashback of before Heero left to battle her brother for the last time and he had pulled her so close. She smiled at him warmly and his features softened.

"I don't want to see you with anyone else."

"Heero, why are you here?"

"Une ordered me out here. But that's not the only reason… I needed to see you. And then I saw you with Barton and realized how much I needed to tell you something. How I feel."

She swallowed hard, their nearness making her blush slightly.

"And how is that?" She questioned, her voice was shaky.

"Nobody can protect you like I can, and more importantly, nobody will ever love you as much as I do. As much as… I always have."

"Do you mean that, Heero? This isn't just a false confession so that I will leave Trowa and forsake any chance at happiness with him?"

"I do mean it. I'm just sorry that I've been too much of a coward to tell you in the past."

She proceeded to throw her arms around his shoulders in a tight embrace. He inhaled quickly as her clothing scraped against his cuts and the sudden force of her body angered his bruises. When the pain was gone, he wrapped his arms securely around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Make me a promise."

"What is that?"

"You can't ever leave me like that again or so help me…"

"I swear. I won't."

They slipped from the each others arms and with a new smile on her face, Relena finished bandaging his cuts and bruises.

**XOXOXO**

Duo sat motionless in the dark holding room taking deep breaths and conserving his energy. His brain was working in low gear, focusing on any outside noises. As he sat in the dark room with his eyes closed he ran through a mental checklist. In his hair were several bobby pins he could use to pick various locks but they had taken his firearm. So he was at their mercy. There was no way he could take out more than two or so at a time as he was. Heavy footsteps forced his eyes open. His pupils took a moment to adjust to the confining darkness before the door was thrown open. Duo let a sly grin creep onto his lips.

"Preventer Maxwell. Come with me… we're about to make a show out of you. And send a little message to that precious Vice Foreign Minister of yours."

"I've always dreamed of being in show business." Duo mocked.

"Let's go, funny-guy." The large burly man grabbed Duo's hair, jerking him up.

"Watch the hair!"

The man's response was knocking Duo's lights out.

**XOXOXOXO**

Hello again everyone. Surprised that I updated again soon (ie, within about a month that is)? I know I am. This chapter was just so much fun to write it got done quicker than I expected. Hope you all enjoy and leave me a review to let me know what you think. Seriously. I'll give you a dollar if you review. 13 reviews in four chapters is kinda sad. Not that I'm desperate or anything. Yeah….


	5. Inside Enemy Territory

AN: Warning, this chapter is a little more… grim than the previous ones and will give the story a more somber feeling until the conflicts are finally resolved. I predict that this story will be roughly eight chapters. Therefore, leaving three more to go.

I know – I KNOW – that it has been an inexcusable amount of time between updates but I have been very busy since my last one. Gotten married, moved and started a real, full-time job. This has, obviously, hindered my frequent updates. The good news is, I have not abandoned this story and have every intention of finishing it.

Thank you to all who have reviewed in my absence. Those reviews are why it is so important to me to finish this labor of love!!

Cookies to all reviewers

XOXOXO

**Chapter Five: Inside Enemy Territory**

XOXOXO

Relena had finished bandaging Heero and ran her hand over his newly wrapped up chest.

"There. All better. Now, Heero, I have to go speak to Trowa and you should check with Sally to see if you two can find Duo."

She raised herself from the bedside and left him alone. He mentally patted himself on the back for finally coming out with his feelings. It hadn't been easy, but it was a lot better than just carrying it around inside like he had been doing for years.

"How does he look, Hilde?" Relena smiled, coming closer to Trowa. Her friend put down the wrappings as she finished up.

"Well he certainly got a beating but from the looks of it, I don't think it's near what he gave Heero."

Trowa couldn't help himself and smiled at hearing that.

"Might I have a minute with Trowa?"

"Yes of course," Hilde said, quickly excusing herself from the situation.

Relena smoothed her dress as she sat next to the cinnamon haired pilot. She looked him over and even though bruises were beginning to ripen and he was now covered with gauze wrappings, he was still very handsome. Relena had been blessed with a plethora of gorgeous men surrounding her.

She ran a finger against his jaw line and stared at him sympathetically. He stiffened slightly at her touch and she felt this. Her mouth turned down and she placed her hands in her lap.

"You two sure did a number on each other. But there is something I need to talk to you about."

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like this discussion."

"You're probably right."

"You're going back to him, then. After all he's put you through."

"What can I say, Trowa? I know it probably doesn't make any sense for me to run back into his arms after all the things he put me through. I wouldn't have done it if he weren't so sincere about his feelings. He loves me. And, foolish me, I still love him enough to forgive him."

He was quiet and turned his gaze down towards the floor.

"You two… were meant to be. And, unfortunately for me, you and I were not."

"Maybe not as lovers, Trowa, but always as friends." At this, he looked at her from the corner of his eye.

She covered his hand with hers. He imagined her kiss not so long ago and felt the need to touch his fingertips to his lips. But instead, he placed his other hand on her shoulder and faced her.

"Relena, your companionship has been a great gift in my life. And if companions are all we're meant to be, then I will accept it only because I know how much you love him."

"Thank you, Trowa."

"But… if he ever hurts you again I think I really will kill him…"

"If he ever hurts me like that again, I think I really will let you," she smiled.

She leaned forward and wrapped her arms behind his chest, laying her face against the front of it. He laid his hand on her head, buried his fingers in her dark golden hair and suddenly felt like crying. He was giving up a woman he had loved for years, but it would never be reciprocated. She would, as he had always known, forever love Heero Yuy above all others.

Heero entered the room as Relena was releasing Trowa. He knew what she had probably just done as Trowa's eyes came up to meet his. The two surveyed each other and the damage they had inflicted on one another silently.

"Heero, please come here. I need your help for just a moment," Sally called over when she saw him enter. He nodded to her and went to lend assistance by his monitor.

Hilde came back to where Trowa and Relena were seated and handed him two pain pills and a glass of water.

"You might not think you need these now, but believe me, they'll help later."

He didn't argue and simply took the medication. Her behavior reminded him of his sister. He hoped Catherine was doing well. It had been some time since they last spoke. Maybe when this mess settled down he would take some vacation time and go stay with her and the troupe for a while. It had been a long time since he did the whole circus bit and he was beginning to miss it. Catherine throwing knives at his head now seemed like a much better alternative to his current situation.

Relena and Hilde got up to scout out the kitchen to see what there was to prepare for dinner and Trowa was quickly joined by his oldest and dearest friend.

"Are you ok?" Quatre asked.

"I will be in time."

"I think they're close to finding Duo's location. We might have to go get him soon."

"The night is all I'll need to recoup. I'm sure it will be for Heero as well."

"You sure you're ok?"

"Quatre, what happened was not pleasant by any means for me. But my heart will heal with time. I just want her happiness. And I would prefer not to talk about it any more."

"You're a good person."

"She's a better one."

"He doesn't deserve such forgiveness and love."

"None of us do. He just got lucky because she offers him both with an open heart."

They both looked over at him as he stood over Sally deciphering the location of their other comrade. His chest wrapped tightly and his left arm hung in a make-shift sling.

"Heero, what do you make of this?"

"The signal isn't strong but we can follow it. It's pretty far from here… I would say about a hundred miles. We'll have to head out first thing… who knows what they're going to do to him."

"Plus," Wufei cut in, "he seems to think they're surrounding this place. We need to find a secure way to get everyone out of here. Somehow they must have been gathering around this villa."

"I don't think that it is possible go get all of us out of here plus go find Duo unless we send word straight to Preventer's headquarters." Milliardo interjected.

"That's actually not a bad idea, Milliardo. Call Lady Une this moment!" Lucrezia spoke up.

"I don't know if they'll get here in time." He responded.

"It's the only chance we'll get…" Sally said, staring at the faint red dot indicating Duo's location.

"You have to do it. You have to save Duo," Hilde said, tears in her eyes.

"We will. Milliardo, get your ass on the phone and call Une right away," Heero commanded.

"Who the Hell do you think you are telling me what to do, Yuy? Last time I checked, I'm a superior officer to you!"

"Just do it," Lucrezia urged. He looked into her eyes and couldn't help but comply with her request.

He dialed the number to Une's personal line.

"Une here," she answered, still in uniform. It was obviously a late night at the office.

"Une… we're in a bad situation. We're going to need back up assistance here at Winner's mansion immediately."

"What kind of situation, Milliardo?"

"They have Preventer Maxwell. I don't know of his condition. He made one contact and said there were a lot of the members from that group. We can't go with the five of us against an army for Christ's sake."

"I will send backup. They will be there tomorrow morning. Five AM sharp, so be ready to move out."

"Thank you, Une," Relena said, coming into view of the screen.

"Relena… it's so good to see that you're safe. Don't worry, we will handle this."

"I know you will. You've got some good men fighting for you."

"No, Ms. Peacecraft, I have some good men fighting for _you_."

The two women exchanged a small smile and then Une's picture went dark, leaving the group in silence.

"We all have to be up early and ready to move out. It's time for sleep," Milliardo instructed.

"Men in that room," Sally pointed to one of the bedrooms, "and women in that one. And I don't care if you're married, dating or whatever… we don't need any distractions this evening."

She was so authoritative… Wufei wanted her right there and then. Which was highly unlike him. He silently moved towards the distinguished bedroom and once he was in, just waited for the others to pour in while taking a place on the floor. Deep breathing brought him down from the high Sally sent him on, then into a much appreciated sleep.

Lucrezia kissed her husband's cheek and told him to sleep well. The next day might be more trying than he would like. Dorothy held Quatre's hand for just a moment, not saying a word before parting ways. When the room had emptied out except for the two of them, Relena and Heero once again, were mute. She came close, put her hand on the back of his neck and brought his forehead down to rest against hers. Both of them closed their eyes and enjoyed the closeness of each other after what felt like a lifetime apart. Relena broke the silence first.

"Tomorrow… you must be safe. You've got to make it through this. I haven't been with you for nearly long enough this time around," she told him quietly.

His hand made its way up to her face and lingered there. The feeling of his palm against her cheek alone nearly made her cry again.

"I can't promise that I will come out of this. But I can promise that you will. Now get some sleep."

"No… I don't think I can sleep tonight. There's too much to think about. The terrorists, Duo, you and Trowa and all that happened this evening."

Heero sat on the couch and stared up at her. She smiled and sat next to him.

"You need to go to bed. Tomorrow is a… big day to say the very least," she told him, in a worried tone.

"I can't sleep in there. I'm just as bad as the terrorists to those guys in there."

"Well then, we can just sit out here… together."

Not much was spoken after that. A few words here and there, and soon, Relena started to drift off to sleep. Her head rested comfortably on his shoulder. Her sleepy eyes stared straight ahead and a tear started to form in her eye. This could be so temporary. Who knew if this group would have their way and kill her off… or they could take away the man she loved the most.

"Please be careful tomorrow, Heero."

"You shouldn't worry so much about me," he responded nonchalantly.

"I probably shouldn't, but I do anyway. Because I love you."

He should have said it back to her, but decided that he would get through this mission first. It didn't matter anyway, because her breathing had reduced significantly indicating her sleep.

Heero tried to sleep. He really did, but his mind was racing all night. How in the world would he do what he needed to do tomorrow? These days he fought his damndest to come out of everything alive. Relena had instilled that need for survival in him long ago. Before meeting her, he didn't really care at all about dying in battle. It was just one of those things. Things hadn't been that way in years, though. Life had new meaning, even for a sinful creature like himself. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and ever so slightly leaned his head against hers. She had given him so much and he had hurt her so many times. He didn't deserve her. Even Trowa deserved her more. But even knowing all of that, he could not give her up. He could not let go of her love. It was a lot like Duo and Hilde's relationship. At first, he fought it because he hadn't ever experienced love like that but then after a while, he fessed up and admitted that it kept him going. It made him want to be a better person. And he loved her too. Their courtship was fast after that. Soon they were living together, engaged then married. Now she was finally expecting. Heero had not shown up for their wedding and knew very well how much that hurt Duo, but who was he to go to something like that? Plus, he was at that time, on a job too far from Earth to go.

So he just didn't discuss it with Duo even though up until that point he knew that Duo considered himself to be Heero's best friend. The confrontation at the hospital after her attempted assassination had burned that bridge, he was sure. At some point he managed to calm his restless mind and fall asleep. But it wasn't for very long.

Relena was awakened by people talking on the other side of the room. Milliardo and Sally were speaking to each other in hushed tones.

"- safer here. Plus, it will be better this way," Sally said.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. But who else?"

"I can stay behind. Those men are good enough to go on their own."  
"I will accompany them."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not! I've done plenty of fighting in my life. Plus… I have no attachments. No family to miss me if anything happens."

"That doesn't matter. I need you here to decipher the radar while I keep radio transmissions going with the others."

She rose slowly off the sofa when it was clear they were just discussing military operations. Heero's absence did not surprise her, in fact she was expecting it when she fell asleep during the night. She was sure that he had gotten up long before her. Her movement was quickly noticed by her brother and Sally.

"What time is it?" She questioned.

"4:20. The others will be leaving soon," Sally told her.

"Where is Heero?"

"He went out to scout the perimeter. Should be back shortly."

"He went alone?"

"Yes. Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Relena noticed his discarded bandages lying neatly on the table next to his laptop. She sighed and took a seat back on the couch.

"When will _we_ be leaving here? I'm afraid for Duo… and the rest of us."

"Unfortunately, until we get Preventer Maxwell back, the safest place is right here. They won't be able to get into this shelter. Moving everyone, especially you and Hilde, is very dangerous until we get a better hold on the situation."

"Will it only be us girls here?"

"No, as I was saying to Po here, I will be staying here as well. Just in case."

"That doesn't sound very confident."

"We're not in a position to sound confident. They have us backed into a corner," Sally told her, sounding almost frightened.

XOXOXO

Heero slowly moved around the edge of the property, trying to get a feel for how many soldiers he thought were now positioned around home in the wooded areas. Most were well trained, but some were not and crunching leaves, snapping twigs among other things gave them away. Therefore he was left to guesswork. Which, admittedly, had its advantages. His eyes moved quickly as his ears stayed alert for any sort of noise. He realized that a well aimed sniper would make an easy target out of him, but also knew that because the Preventer soldiers were now there, the terrorist group members would be low key. He stopped in his tracks when he got to the front of the house. Sitting conspicuously on the front steps was a small black object. He approached cautiously, because who knew what it really was. Relena's begging for him to be careful was all he could seem to think about now as he stared at that object. His pace resumed and he charted towards whatever it was. When he reached the steps it became clear what the black box really was: a video tape. Heero retreated down the steps, got about 100 yards from the tape and threw a small rock at it. Nothing happened. He wisely waited several seconds for a delayed reaction, but nothing came. When no explosion came from the tape after a moment or so, he approached again and picked it up. Before going back to the shelter, he went into the mansion and played the tape all the way through to make sure it was truly safe. What he saw made him shiver. He ejected it and quickly made his way back to the safe rooms.

XOXOXO

"I need Wufei, Milliardo, Trowa and Quatre to watch this," Heero said as he went back into the shelter, holding the tape up. Everyone was now awake and sitting together in nervous anticipation for the uncertain day ahead of them all.

"No, we all watch it. We're all in this now," Relena told him firmly.

He felt himself flinch as he looked at Hilde's sad expression.

"Suit yourself."

He stuck it in the tape player and the image popped up on the projection screen. It seemed like the room stopped breathing when the feed began.

A clearly beaten Duo was strapped to a chair, barely conscious, but glinting smugly at the camera. His face was swollen and bruised, clothing ripped, bleeding and hair messy. Hilde took in a sharp breath and whispered her husband's name quietly. A tall, unshaven man came into the camera's view. His crooked smile made Relena very uneasy and she already knew it was aimed directly at her, but she did not make any changes to her facial expression.

"Hello there, Vice Foreign Minister. We have a simple message just for you. You will hand yourself over to us, or we will kill off everyone you know and love one by one. And since you were stupid enough to hand over this 'dear friend,' he will be our first example of how serious we are."

His focus shifted to where the camera did not show as he nodded and another person came forward, only he did not speak to the camera and carried a gun. One blast from the rifle sent Duo and his chair across the floor. Hilde screamed out loud. The camera followed to where he landed against a far wall and his face was contorted in pain. Duo made no sound. He would not give them the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.

"We will not let him die quickly. He shall remain where he is until his blood has drained completely. It will be a slow and cruel death. You don't want that now, do you, Ms. Peacecraft? Of course not. You speak of tolerance and against violence. Yet you are sacrificing people every day. You foolishly think there is no more suffering in this world?! We look for you to turn yourself over to us as fast as possible unless you are the only one you wish to protect. Don't be selfish," He mocked, through his venomous smile.

The tape ended and the group stood in silence. Relena and Hilde both fought back tears.

"I will hand myself over. This has to end. And if my death means the safety of those I love the most, then so be it."

"Relena, no offense, but that's crazy," Quatre told her.

"Yes, you know that we will take care of this group. And we'll get Duo back one way or another," Trowa assured her.

Hilde sobbed out loud. Everyone turned to look at her. Relena hugged her fiercely.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault!" She told her.

"No, Relena. It's not. I'm sorry… I'm just so worried. He can't die. Not like that! Not by the hands of those… those monsters!"

"Let's go, there's no time to lose. Now!" Heero commanded. Milliardo started radio transmission with the awaiting soldiers stationed outside and within seconds heard the horns from the military vehicles.

"Heero!" Relena called as he started out the door. Everything was now moving in fast motion. He turned around for a second and smiled the tiniest bit at her. She nodded and bit her lip, fighting the tears. She hadn't realized how violent of a group this was until that tape played and now, she really was frightened for Heero… for all of them. He knew this but had every intention of coming back to her alive. He promised not to leave her again, and this time he meant to keep it.

XOXOXO

Duo lay on the floor, surrounded by his own warm blood. He was barely conscious. The room had been dark for hours and, though he had blacked out previously, he was now awake to see that his side had been patched slightly with a piece of uniform and he had been moved to a different location. This confused him, but his brain was moving too slow to do anything but look at the harsh wound. He wondered quietly if this would really be how he was to die. Laying on a cold, cement floor, bleeding to death wasn't really glamorous or heroic in any way. His heart tightened at the thought of his own demise… and leaving his wife and child alone. A tear ran down the war hero's cheek and he closed his eyes again.

_Gravedigger, when you dig my grave, could you make it shallow so that I can feel the rain… _

"Heero! How much farther?" Quatre yelled over the loud, all-terrain Preventer jeep.

"Not too much."

"Everyone remember the plan. We do as much damage as we can to get past the front lines, split up to find Duo, and as soon as he's out of there, we bomb the place to Hell." Trowa said calmly.

They all braced themselves for a frightening unknown. Though Heero had vowed not to take any more lives, it would have to be broken today. He prayed that Relena would forgive him for causing more bloodshed. He tried to reassure himself that it was for a noble purpose.

"You're really worried about Duo, aren't you Heero?" Quatre said, insightfully.

"Why would you say that?"

"The way you ran out of there and the way you looked at Hilde before we left."

"She's going to have a baby soon. Her husband could be dead by now and he's a fellow Preventer. That's all," Heero insisted, a snarling tone in his voice.

Quatre smiled smugly before turning his attention back to the road. Heero was worried about his friend. Not only that, he was worried about his friend's wife. It was too rich.

Heero closed his eyes firmly, shutting out any further distraction. His thoughts gathered on one thing: the number of enemies they were about to face. Numbers were next to everything in a battle. The only thing that usurped that, was talent and just barely. Not knowing the training extent of the other Preventer's that had been sent in to help left him in the dark. There were now about 200 soldiers headed towards this base. With any luck, that would be enough to overpower the enemy. The road was bumpy… they were not on the main road, but through the back woods. There could not be much surprise with a fleet as large as the one coming, but at least this way was a little more discrete. His breathing was controlled and he knew what he had to do. Get in and out of there as quick as possible. Surely they would be anticipating this attack… he didn't want to leave the mansion for too long.

"We're almost there, everyone ready?!" The driver called.

All four men were already armed and ready. Each had put on their regular Preventer uniforms except for Quatre who was issued an honorary uniform. The outline of an abandoned looking building was coming closer and closer into view.

Quatre felt himself swallow hard. He closed his eyes quickly and made a silent plea to the heavens, if they were listening to someone such as himself, to keep Dorothy safe while they were gone. He did not pray for his own safety because if it had to come down to it, he would rather die than her life be put in any danger at all.

He had come a long way with her… their relationship did not start on a good note and was rough for quite some time. Then, the more time they spent together, the closer they seemed to grow. He would ask her opinions on things, she would come to him with business questions and sometime after that, it was no longer for the sole purpose of business they saw each other. He had always felt close to her and always known that there was a good person under that troubled persona she wore on the outside. It was only a matter of time. Now it was quite safe to say they loved each other. He admired and needed her strength and resolution while she clung quietly to his soft heart. A large bump in the road took him temporarily out of his seat and his eyes jerked opened. There it was; the hiding place of their enemies. In only a millisecond's time a thought hit him and he felt a new resolve to come out of this mission alive. When this was all over, he would ask her to marry him. The moment of clarity was brilliant and he was never more positive about anything in his entire life.

"There it is." Trowa said, quietly and almost to himself. He took in a deep breath. This was so difficult. He was now fighting alongside Heero Yuy once more. The man that had damn near ruined Relena's life and his too, now had to be his ally again. He had no choice in this matter. None were like they used to be, but here they all were going in to save a former Gundam pilot and comrade. It seemed surreal, like a dream in slow motion, when the jeep stopped and Heero jumped up. With a certain self-assuredness that only Yuy possessed, he waved in hoard after hoard of units. The terrorists emerged in greater numbers than anyone expected like ants swarming from a stepped on ant hill, and the battle began.

Trowa and the other pilots stuck close together, fighting like fish swimming upstream to get to the entrance of the compound. The five level, nondescript building itself looked like it might have served at one time as a hospital. Now it looked gutted and cold, its concrete gray exterior loomed ominously over the soldiers. Only a few of the windows held a faint light while all of the rest seemed like empty eye sockets, shrouded in darkness. The sun had never come out that day. A dense fog rested on the ground from the sudden cold front brought in by the heavy rain the previous day and it felt like everything was more heavily weighted than usual.

Shots rang out all around them. Only a few were aimed at specific individuals, the rest were random bullets hoping to find an enemy host.

"Come on!" Wufei shouted, making it to the doorway first. The Chinese man disappeared into the building and was soon followed by the others.

"We'll split up. Be careful and we don't leave until we find Duo. Dead or alive he's going back with us," Quatre told everyone. They nodded and each took off down a different corridor.

XOXOXO

Wufei could feel his pulse in his ears as he ran. Since fighting through the mass of enemy soldiers and running through the maze-like compound, he could not calm his blood-pressure. It seemed that most of the opposition's forces were outside fighting the other Preventers. Wufei only hoped that they would be able to hold them off long enough to get Duo out. Though not his favorite person in the world, he refused to accept the idea that Maxwell would die in a place such as this. One time before, he had sided with a group of rebels, against Relena's ideals. But then he saw the good happening around the world, and Heero himself helped to open his eyes. The guilt he had always felt for killing Treize haunted him until after that. When he decided to support Relena instead of seeing her overthrown, there was no turning back. Just like there was no turning back now.

His gun exploded periodically, dropping the occasional enemy as he hunted like mad. Soon he shouted into the radio, "I'm going to the top floor, the rest of you each take a floor. We'll search like that!"

"I've already looked through the ground floor. I'm heading to the basement," Heero responded. Quatre was searching the second floor and Trowa was on the third, heading to the fourth having found nothing of interest to them.

XOXOXO

Heero descended the spiraling staircase, holding his gun midlevel to easier pick off those coming for him. It hadn't been easy to find an entrance to the basement which threw an even heavier blanket of suspicion over things. There were a lot of soldiers down there and as he ran through the corridors, he spotted the room where the tape was made. It was a dead giveaway, splattered with Duo's blood. He followed the trail of dried blood which indicated he had been dragged to another location. The dim, fluttering florescent lights made everything almost blue. It made Heero uneasy to be down there. If anyone was in charge, they would be down here. The upper floors were probably just holding quarters and mock rooms to confuse anyone. It had definitely been a hospital at some point from the linoleum floors, stark white walls and small rooms, with what would have been nurse's stations dotting the middle of the structure periodically. He didn't try to conceal his presence; the war going on outside the building had long given away all of their positions. Therefore, he ran full speed down the hallways following Duo's bloody trail.

He burst through the door where the path disappeared underneath. Duo was laying, unconscious, in a heap near the far wall. It looked as if someone had merely thrown him in the room and left him there to perish. Heero shoved his gun into its holster and went to check for a pulse. He turned Duo onto his back and grabbed his wrist. There was not a strong enough heartbeat for Heero's likening. He lowered his head to Maxwell's chest. There was a faint beat and he knew that he didn't have long. Carefully, he picked up his fallen comrade.

"Heero?" Duo asked, his voice struggling.

"Yeah."

"Is Hilde ok?"

"She's fine."

"Relena…?" he all but sighed.

"Relena is fine too," Heero assured him, running once more.

"You love her?"  
"…Yeah."

"Ya tell her? Or… do I have to…kick your ass?"

"I'd like to see you try right about now."

"Stalling…"

"I told her. Now shut up or you'll waste all your strength," Heero told him, sternly.

"Heh… yes… sir," Duo mocked, weakly.

"Heero! We gotta get out of here! More of those guys are coming back in!" Quatre warned over the radio.

"I'm on my way! I have Maxwell! Wufei, arm the bomb."

"Right," Wufei responded, heading to the first floor once more, explosive in hand.

"Hold it!" a voice shouted from behind Heero.

He turned slowly and gave the man quite possibly the most frightening glare he'd ever witnessed. Something Heero did better than anyone else. His eyes were like cold death and the young soldier took in a quick breath.

"What?" Heero growled.

"I work for you! I've been here undercover. Please take me with you. I'm the one who bandaged Preventer Maxwell's wound," he said, pointing to Duo's side that was wrapped with bloodstained fabric.

"Why the Hell should I believe you?"

"I can point you to who did this. That's why."

"I've got him, Heero," Trowa said calmly, coming into the hallway. He went behind the supposed ally and put the barrel of his gun into the man's spine.

"Let's go," Trowa nodded.

"Hn," Heero responded, turning towards the exit once more.

The three able bodies headed up the stairs. Duo's breathing had become shallow and when he coughed, gasping for air, blood streamed from the corners of his mouth. Heero knew what dying of a gunshot wound looked like and this fit the description perfectly. There was absolutely no time to lose.

"Sally! Have the ambulance helicopter meet us outside of this place immediately!"

"It's already there, Heero," Sally responded into the radio from her place back at the mansion.

"Watch out!" Trowa called from behind to Heero as they emerged from the stairs. Heero saw but, carrying the weight of Duo, could not react in time. A gravely injured rebel soldier had his weapon pointed straight for the party. He laughed and fired his gun with no hesitation and Heero felt himself being shoved to the ground. Trowa fell shortly after. His clothing now ripped from the impact of the bullet.

"Barton!" Heero yelled.

Trowa looked up at him and took in a deep breath.

"Yuy, take… care… of… Relena."

Heero's eyes went wide as the other man's closed. The one who had fired soon fell to the ground himself after another gun exploded behind Heero. The soldier and supposed fellow Preventer Heero and Trowa had been escorting finished him off with one single shot. Heero sat Duo down temporarily and checked Trowa's wound. It wasn't good. The bullet had hit in his upper abdomen.

"Barton? Can you hear me?"

"Heero… listen," he started, not opening his eyes, but lowering his brow as he spoke, "I love her too, OK? But… you and her… are meant for each other. That's why I didn't hesitate to take that bullet for you. I want her… to be happy. And she's happy with y-…," Trowa managed, but passed out before he could finish his sentence.

"Quatre! Get your ass down here! Barton's down. I repeat, Barton is down!"

"I'm on my way."

"Everyone get the Hell out of here," Wufei yelled, "this place is going down in minus two minutes!"

Quatre soon came around the corner, grabbed Trowa and the five of them made their way out. Wufei was waiting for them and put the hostage into one of the armored vans to be taken to a holding area. Duo and Trowa were immediately put into the ambulance helicopter that was standing by to be taken to an awaiting hospital. Preventer medics were tiptoeing through the grounds, checking to see if any of the scattered Preventers where the initial fight had taken place were still alive. Except for the vehicles of various sorts, there was no noise. The gunfire had ceased and the ground was scattered with victims on both sides. Now the only thing the two sides shared was a death bed of sorts.

As soon as the helicopter took off carrying Trowa and Duo, the building collapsed into itself from the explosion.

"There's no way the main operator was there," Heero demised.

"No. Too easy. Sub leader at best," Wufei agreed.

They got into the awaiting jeep and headed back towards the mansion.

None of them even seemed to move on the return trip. Quatre asked a question no one could answer.

"Do you think they'll make it?"

Neither Wufei nor Heero responded, so the question merely hung in the air.

When they were about twenty miles from the mansion, a fuzzy transmission came over the radio signal.

"Heero! They're here Heero, they've found our location! Please… please hurry!"

Gunshots could be heard over the radio from the other end before the signal died.

"Hurry!" Quatre yelled to the driver. Heero suddenly felt more helpless than he had in a long time. He gripped his holster and closed his eyes. If they hurt Relena he would never forgive himself.

The jeep went as fast as possible, throwing the Gundam pilots around in the back as they went over each and every bump in the road. Heero noticed something odd as they got closer… was that smoke mixed into the fog? An overwhelming sense of dread crept over him as he realized the odd odor was indeed smoke. And it was becoming thicker.

"Oh my God…," Quatre spoke. The other two just looked on in horror. Quatre's beautiful mansion was burning. Only the skeleton of the home now stood as the fire had moved quickly and virtually destroyed the entire house. Beams engulfed in flames fell dangerously around the property.

Heero jumped from the vehicle and the other's followed.

"Be careful, Heero!" Quatre yelled, as Heero dashed ahead him and Wufei.

He didn't respond, his focus was solely on that room. Just as he feared, the door looked as if it had been blown off its hinges. Heero ducked and dodged around the pieces of burning building as he made his way towards the safe room.

When he entered he was not surprised. It was ransacked. Milliardo was laying face down near the couch he and Relena had slept on just the night before. The others caught up to him.

"Shit!" Wufei cursed, hitting the wall next to him. There was no sign of any of the women. Only Milliardo remained. They had no use for him so he had been left to die.

"We have to get out of here! The structure is unsound now!" Quatre yelled. He went and lifted Milliardo, tossing his limp arm around his shoulder and hoisting him up. They got a safe distance away from the building right before the rest of the structure fell to the ground and the flames began to die down. The surrounding property was too damp from the previous day's rain to catch fire. Wufei got on the radio and called for help. Relena's brother was unconscious but regained himself for only a moment.

"They have them… all of them… there was nothing I could do…," his cold blue eyes pierced into Heero's, "Get my sister back, Yuy."

"Understood," Heero responded quietly. His rage had not yet come into itself. The situation was still too new. The reality of it had yet to sink in completely.

"Dorothy…," Quatre said to himself, staring at the dying flames that had destroyed his villa. He could have cried, but didn't. Instead, he vowed to himself to get her back. To get all of them back. The small number of soldiers that had been standing guard around the home had been no match for the number of enemies. The proportion of bodies littering Quatre's grounds gave no doubt that the majority of the terrorist group had attacked this place rather than being ready for the pilot's raid on their station.

When Milliardo had once more lost consciousness, Heero stood and walked around. He only let his anger show for a moment.

"Goddammit!!" he shouted from the pit of his gut. Neither of the two others spoke to him. It was his fault she had been taken. He should have known better!

"Even if you had been here, it seems you would have been outnumbered. She would have been taken anyway," Wufei told him, feeling brave.

"At least I could have died knowing I tried!"

"And what good would that do her in the end? You're being selfish. This way, you can find her," Wufei informed him with an edge to his voice.

"Yes, but at least I would have been there to protect her."

"I think we all would have liked to be there to fight for those we love. That I can understand. Now we need to focus on bringing them back unharmed."

Heero pulled his pocket phone out and called Une as fast as he could.

"Une here."

"We have a bad situation."

"What is it, Preventer Yuy?"

"We recovered Preventer Maxwell. Preventer Barton was injured while we were in the building. Quatre's mansion has been burned to the ground and they stormed the safe rooms. Preventers Peacecraft and Po along with all the women, including Relena, have been abducted."

"Were there any survivors on their side?"

"None that I saw, but we did recover a soldier who claims to be a double agent working for us. He has been sent back to HQ for questioning."

"Get here as soon as possible, Preventer Yuy. You must question him and get as much information as you can. He could be the link to the group and the anonymous letters found here on the premises. He also might know who would have Relena."

"I will arrive before the end of the day. Detain him until I get there. Remember Une, time is a factor."

"Of course, Preventer Yuy. I shall speak to you again when you arrive."

Their conversation ended and Heero put the phone back into his pocket.

"I will be traveling back with you to Headquarters, Yuy," Wufei said.

"How about you, Quatre?"

"Not right now… I'm going to the hospital to check on Trowa and Duo. Please keep me updated."

"Dorothy will be fine. She's tougher than nails," Heero said, before climbing back into the jeep with Wufei.

"I certainly hope so…," Quatre responded after they had driven away and left him with Relena's wounded brother.

_So many times I'd planned  
To be much more than who I am  
And if I let you down I will follow you 'round until you understand _

The flight back to headquarters was quiet. Each of the two soldiers were lost in their own thoughts and didn't care too much about discussing what the other was feeling. Heero focused all of his attention on finding out where Relena was being held and who the group who took her really was. He also wondered to himself why he didn't tell her he loved her back when she said it to him the night before. She was obviously expecting it, but it never came that morning. If she didn't survive this… he would never get to tell her again. That's why he HAD to find her. So that he could tell her as many times as she wanted to hear it. Also, so he could say it for himself. That openness was what he was striving for. If those bastards hurt her he would find the most painful way to repay them possible. He hadn't gotten to be with her nearly long enough and already she had been taken from him again. His eyelids fell and brow furrowed under his bangs while his fists tightened. He had to keep his anger in check. For both of their sakes he had to learn to love her and protect her at the same time. It could no longer be one or the other. He had come too far to go back to that.

Wufei sat in quiet meditation, trying to block out all thoughts of the possibility that Sally had been hurt or worse… He was just like Heero used to be in that he was so full of pride he would not admit his feelings for the woman. She made him look forward to working. Her company was sanctuary to his heart. When he lost Nataku, he never believed he would love again. So easily hidden was the emotion and fighting helped to keep it out of the picture. If Yuy could tell Relena how he felt, then maybe there was hope for himself. Until they found her, he would keep his love out of the picture and focus on locating Relena. That way, it would not be as painful if something did happen. At least, that's what he would like to think. In reality, if something happened to Sally and he had kept everything inside, he might never forgive himself. He had promised that he would never leave, and he wouldn't allow her to do that either. He would find her and take her home. It would not be an easy task, especially without the Gundams and two extra pilots, but hopefully, the ones left would be enough to end this nightmare. Wufei also worried for Relena. It was obvious that the group wanted her dead. He hoped they would find reason enough to keep her around long enough to be rescued instead of killing her right away.

_And if I told you that I loved you  
You'd maybe think there's something wrong  
I'm not a man of too many faces  
The mask I wear is one  
Those who speak know nothing  
And find out to their cost  
Like those who curse their luck in too many places  
And those who fear are lost _

When they had stabilized the three soldiers, Quatre found himself in each of the three rooms at different times. The first person he spoke to was Milliardo. He was the least injured of all three and regained consciousness first. He laid upright in his bed with his forehead wrapped and an IV supplying pain medication to maintain his comfort.

"What happened, Milliardo?"

"They just stormed the place… there were too many to count. One of them said to only take Relena, but another said to get everyone. I was injured so they figured I'd be best left there. 'Let the fire take care of that one,' they said. I don't know why they took the girls. Other than Relena, that is. I know very well why they wanted her."

"We'll find her," Quatre told him.

"Yes. I know. I would prefer that she be found alive though. I'm sorry I will not be able to aid you. Bring my sister and the others home. They have my wife and sister and I can't even help find them."

"Don't worry, just focus on getting better. Heero is working hard already to find where they are."

"I'm going to have to trust him this time. I realize that. Their lives lay in all of your hands. Don't disappoint me."

He closed his eyes and Quatre nodded before he left. Next he went to Trowa's room. Trowa didn't look too bad except for the thick wrapping around his mid-section. He was heavily medicated and would require surgery in the next few hours to mend what had been hurt by the bullet.

"You could have died, Trowa."

"It would have been better to be me… than him. For her sake," he said, his eyes closed and voice tired.

Quatre wasn't planning on telling him that Relena and the other girls had been taken, but he guessed it.

"While we were gone to get Duo back, they took her didn't they?"

"Yes. She and the other girls have all been taken. We're working on trying to find them right now."

"Bring her back, Quatre. Even if she isn't mine, I still want her safe."

"Of course. Get some rest; you have a big operation coming up."

"Quatre, thank you for your friendship. Even when we were supposed to hate each other, you still stood by me. And all the others," he said, finally opening his eyes and glancing in the blonde man's direction. Quatre only smiled before walking towards the window. The dark sky was illuminated by the skyline of the city.

"You are all like my own family to me. I won't let anything happen to my family."

"No, I realize that. That's why I trust you to bring them all back."

Trowa took a deep breath, cringed in pain and asked Quatre to leave. He didn't want his friend to see him like he was. Quatre promised to come back after the surgery was over. Trowa did not argue.

The last person he went to visit was not awake to visit and he had to wait until the designated time to go in. Duo laid pitifully in the Intensive Care Unit, attached to a ventilator and heart monitor. The constant blips coming from the machine were the only source of comfort. They had worked on him for hours and the conclusion was far from good news. He had lost so much blood they weren't sure if there was brain damage or if his organs would recover properly. The only thing to do was more tests, waiting and praying. Quatre knew that his friend could pull through this. He sat silently in the room next to his bed with hands clasped and prayed as hard as he knew how to do for Duo's recovery. They were monsters. The people who did this were nothing but cold hearted monsters. He prayed for all three hurt men, for Relena and the other new captives and for Wufei and Heero. Begging God for protection was a humbling experience in that small hospital room. But he never cried. He would stay strong.

Soon the nurses told him visiting time was over. He watched the heart monitor for a second more and squeezed Duo's hand firmly before leaving the room. For the rest of the evening, he sat in the waiting room hoping that Trowa's surgery would go better than expected and that Duo would recover.

XOXOXO

Heero reached Preventers HQ by ten that evening. The day staff had long gone home and the night shift was in full gear. Doors whished open and shut as he strode determinedly down the corridor leading to Lady Une's office. They would question this supposed mole and try to track down Relena's location. The scariest thought he could imagine was that they were already too late.

_In my mind I'm right there by your side_

_Cause I can't live without your love…_

AN: Just thought the songs breaking up sections would be a nice touch. Please leave reviews!!! New chapter should be here sometime in the next few months.

Thank you for all my faithful reviews. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint!!

- Dave Matthew's Band, _Gravedigger_

- Jet, _Shine On_

- Sting, _Shape of my Heart_

- Low Stars, _Can't Live Without Your Love_


	6. Lost in Darkness

Authors Notes:

Two updates in one month!!! It seems I have this thing rolling once more (this chapter just came pouring out after the inspiration from the last one).

Anyway, when last I left you a LOT happened. I know it was an eventful chapter and I hope you were able to keep up. This should – SHOULD – be updated fairly regularly until it is finished. Hopefully those of you who have continued to read this will find the rest of my story enjoyable and worth reviewing.

For now, here is chapter six. _Flashbacks represented in italics! _

Disclaimer: I STILL own nothing…

XOXOXO

_**Chapter Six: Lost in Darkness**_

XOXOXO

Relena was groggy. The head wound inflicted on her made her vision fuzzy and the ability to concentrate on any certain object in her field of vision was temporarily gone. Though she couldn't see very well in the dark room, she could tell that her hair was heavy and matted with blood. The warmth of her blood was sticky all down her neck and had probably ruined the white dress she was still wearing from the night before. She was now barefoot though. Her teeth mashed together and she remained as quiet as possible. The worst thing would be if those people came back. They had beaten her terribly already and told her their leader had something equally as _inviting_ for her later. She outwardly cringed at the possibilities. They had stormed the mansion while Heero and the others were gone. Her brother was shot right before her very eyes while trying to defend her and the others, and they took all three other women. Hilde… if there was a God in heaven, she hoped that He would be with her now and take care of the pregnant woman somewhere buried within the compound.

_The sounds and unexplained warmth heating the panic room gave away that the enemy was storming the mansion and the occupants of the safe rooms all were thinking the same thing. There was only one entrance. What was once a safe place now was a trap none of them had any chance of escaping. _

_Milliardo grabbed for his gun and practically threw Relena into one of the bedrooms. _

"_Get in there and lock the door! We have to stall for time until the others get here. I'll hold them off," he instructed harshly._

"_I'll help you!" Lucrezia shouted._

"_No! Get in there and don't be stubborn."_

_Sally reached for the radio as gunshots began drilling the solid metal door._

"_Heero! They're here Heero, they've found our location! Please… please hurry!" She shouted desperately, pulling her own weapon from its holster and locking the other women into the room. The gunshots were getting louder. _

"_Shit!" Sally shouted as the radio signal died before she got a response from Heero. _

_It was quiet for just a moment before the door to the safe rooms was blown clean off. Fires were ravaging the beautiful home and a wave of heat surged in the moment the door was no more. Gunfire came quickly after the explosion. The bedroom was full of worry. Hilde did not cry as she held her abdomen tightly while huddled in the corner. Dorothy stood proudly behind Lucrezia and Sally who both began firing as soon as the door was kicked off of its hinges. Relena knelt by Hilde and tried to comfort her. The obstacles between the enemies and Relena were knocked out, one by one, until they reached her. She could see into the other room and to her horror, saw that Milliardo had been hit and was not moving. There were two soldiers standing near him discussing who all to take. _

"_Just take me. Leave the others here. I'm the one you want!"_

"_Heh no way, missy. This loot is too good to pass up. Plus, if you start to go back on your word, we could use some reminders."_

_They grabbed her and she began to thrash, kicking and hitting. Her foot connected with a sensitive part of the soldier standing in front of her. He sunk in pain while others laughed at his misfortune but when he regained himself he grabbed the first object he could find, which happened to be a leg from an otherwise shattered chair, and hit her as hard as he could over the head with it. Darkness instantly followed._

"Heero_," s_he whispered his name and instantly her eyes fell to the floor. It hadn't been very long ago that his name was still new again to her vocabulary. Why would she have so readily taken him back? Surely she had more sense than that. Someone is gone for six years and then, as soon as he reappears she takes him back without hesitation. It was different this time, though. He was… different. Somehow, he had changed for the better. His eyes were so much more readable and in them she had seen sorrow, regret and… what she hoped to be love. Therefore, being the kind and forgiving person she was, she had taken him back.

She sat with her eyes wide, trying to hold on to the image of his face in her mind. With a resolve to not let them break her because he would soon come for her. For all of them. At least… she could hope that he would be coming for her. There was always that possibility that he wouldn't find her in time. Relena shook her head. That wouldn't be very Heero-like. So for now, she would have to be strong and with any luck, she would not be killed before he could come and get her.

Her vision was slightly less fuzzy now and she tried to take in her surroundings. It was very dark even with the sliver of light sneaking in from under the door. There seemed to be nothing there. Not a chair or carpet or anything… just a hollowed out holding room. A prison cell. Every now and then she would hear someone in the hall next to her stride by, and she would close her eyes and hold her breath. Maybe that way they would not be able to tell that she was awake. The attitude made her feel like a coward, but there was no way she could take on any of these men around her. They had thrown her around like a ragdoll earlier even as she tried to fight them. Kicking one of them in the groin had resulted in her head wound. If she didn't know what these men were capable of, she would have gone peacefully. But she had seen too much brutality and so she fought desperately to get free so she could help the others. Instead, she had landed herself in this cold, dank, non-descript cell covered in her own blood. Relena didn't try to stand or walk around. She felt too dizzy to do that. So she merely stayed propped against the wall behind her. Sleep was her enemy, she kept telling herself. As tempting as it was to drift off suddenly, she fought it hard. With her head injury, she didn't know if she would wake up again.

She inhaled quickly and let her surprise show when the door next to her flew open. A man was standing there, his features shadowed by the light source behind him.

"Let's go, princess," he spat, "the boss would like a few words with you."

He yanked her up violently and she winced in pain.

XOXOXO

Dorothy felt that she, Sally and Lucrezia stood the best chance in a place such as this. With all of their military backgrounds, Sally and Lucrezia's being stronger than her own of course, they were better suited to stand their own ground. She had managed to be thrown into her cell with minimal damage inflicted. If only she could get her hands on a weapon of some sort. Picking the lock seemed futile without one. Until someone came back in the room, she would have no choice but to wait and see. If a soldier approached and he was armed, she might take her chances at getting to his gun. If she could reach one of the other women and help, then she would. Especially Hilde. She would stand an even better chance of getting free if she could find Sally or Lucrezia and both of them work together. The chances of all of that were not in her favor, but she liked those odds over the ones of rotting in her jail cell of sorts and waiting for the worst.

Her thoughts suddenly went to Quatre. With any luck, they had found Duo Maxwell in time. She didn't know him very well, but she knew he was a good person and very genuine; much like Quatre himself. They only spoke in passing for the longest time. He would make frequent trips to the businessman's office for updates and to pass along news of the other pilots. He was also Relena's bodyguard, but when he was on duty he was all business with everyone but Relena. Sometimes Dorothy would be at Quatre's office as well because she acted as his and Relena's go between since both were so busy with their own affairs. Then at his wedding, which she attended with Quatre, she finally got to spend more than a few minutes speaking to him. She had only known Hilde, his bride, a very short time through Relena. Therefore, it could have been very awkward; but it wasn't. They both were quite friendly and so in love, she got caught up in it as well. Duo danced with her at the reception while Quatre shared a waltz with the bride. He cut jokes, some at her own expense, and was nothing but kind and jovial. Only Hilde and Quatre knew at the time that he was sad over Heero's absence. The whole event was something she would always look back on and smile. All but one Gundam pilots and their significant others spending the day doing nothing but enjoying each other's company and the happy event.

"_How can a man like you find such happiness?" She asked him during their dance._

"_I'm going to ignore the first part of that question and assume you mean loving someone and marrying them like a normal person?" he smiled._

"_Yes. With your tainted past… it must be difficult."_

"_No not really. You can't fight what's in your heart. And I love Hilde. War didn't make me forget how to love. It just made it harder to accept."_

"_How can you and some of the others feel like that, while the others can't?" she found herself asking._

"_Easy. Just because we were all pilots for the Gundams and share similar pasts doesn't make us all the same person. We're all individuals who have grown up and learned how to deal with things differently. Some of us wear our hearts on our sleeve while the rest of us hide emotion. That's all there is to it."_

"_Congratulations, Duo." She smiled, meaning that in more than one way. She knew exactly who was who in his explanation and also knew it was meant to help her personally in her confusion over Quatre at the time. _

"_Thank you! You're not as bad as Trowa says," he joked. She let a small half smile take over before the end of their dance. _

"_Did you and Duo have a good discussion?" Quatre asked, coming back from his dance with Hilde._

"_Yes. It was very enlightening." _

In some small way, it was Duo that helped her come around to Quatre in the end. She worried for his safety now. A gunshot wound at that proximity was never a good situation. It went to show how violent of a rebel group they were dealing with. Though she once glorified battle beyond all other things, the reality of it seemed hard to ignore. Too many innocent people died during the wars. So that's why she went to work with Relena in the end. She still fenced and took her gun to the range for practice and sport, but when it came to war, a change of heart had occurred. And this… this was just madness.

XOXOXO

Heero briefed Une once more on all the details from the events that had taken place during that day before they both went to interrogate the possible double agent. Wufei had opted not to get involved with the captive and retreated to his office. They found the unknown agent in a holding room, awaiting them patiently. He sat across the metal table under the hanging light and stared at them blankly before Lady Une began the formal questions.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Reginald Lawrence," he responded.

"Where are you from?"

"I was born on Colony L-14. After college I moved to Earth."

"Who do you work for?"

"I work for Officer Lucrezia Noin-Peacecraft in the infiltration unit of Preventers."

"Why were you in the enemy base? She seemed to have no knowledge of your being there the last time we spoke. In fact, she didn't mention sending in any of her agents."

"I went of my own accordance."

"So you broke the rules."

"I had overheard about this group while investigating other, less developed rebel groups. They seemed like a real danger. Instead of going to my superior officer, I acted alone. Foolishly assuming a promotion would come in tow for being assertive."

"Men are fired from Preventers each day for too much assertiveness," Une reminded.

"I realize that. My reasons came from good intentions, though. I didn't want Relena Peacecraft to be in any danger."

"You and I both know I cannot look into your records because of the infiltration unit's policies, so therefore, why should I or Preventer Yuy trust anything you might say?"

In the infiltration unit, there were no documented Preventers. In fact, for the department's own protection, only certain officers even knew of the infiltration unit. Therefore, if a soldier was undocumented, he could freely join and spy on rebel groups without putting his life in danger.

"Why don't you ask Preventer Noin-Peacecraft? She can vouch for me."

"If you are who you say you are, then you should know very well why we cannot do that. She and all of the women located at the mansion were abducted."

"What?" He said, caught off guard, "That was not the plan I heard of, I assure you. The only individual the sub-leader wanted was Relena. They must have taken them to force Relena to turn over her life. If that is the case, I don't know if they will be safe or not. If you haven't figured out by now, this group is out for blood."

"Why? What is the motivation?"

"I wish I could tell you. This group works like a finely oiled machine. Everyone has a job to do and they are only told what the leaders think they need to know. I have been snooping where I shouldn't be and that is the only reason I know more than the rest. Lower end soldiers are only told one thing. Relena's peace is an illusion and her reign over Earth and space must be brought to an end so that a real politician can take her place. They want her dead. Seems like revenge to me, but for what I am not sure."

At some point Heero's threatening eyes had disappeared behind his bangs. Lawrence tried not to look at him because of the menacing aura sent out by the other uniformed Preventer. It was unsettling the way he was probably watching him from beneath those heavy bangs of dark brown hair like prey. He focused on Lady Une mostly. She was slightly less intimidating.

"How do we know for sure that you aren't leading us down a false path so we waste too much time finding where Relena really is?" Heero finally asked.

"You don't. But if you have any hopes of finding her, search for the sub-leader who was controlling that base you destroyed. I only know of one other base and I can't be for sure if the head of the operation will be stationed there or not. I have never heard of the real leader's name, but I do know he exists."

"Where is the other base you know of? And what is the sub-leader's name?"

"The base is on colony L-08. And the leader who was stationed where Mr. Winner's mansion and the base once stood is Lieutenant Cole Mather. He once worked for OZ."

"His name does not sound familiar and I worked right alongside Treize Kushrenada," Une said, raising a challenging eyebrow.

"It wouldn't. During his days with OZ, he was a low level officer. After their collapse at the end of the war, he joined group after group that planned to overthrow the current government until finally resting with this particular one. They promoted him immediately and stationed him at that base on Earth."

"If you're only told what they want you to know, how do you know all of that information?" Heero asked, his eyes flashing and voice coated in suspicion.

"Like I said before, I did a lot of snooping."

"Were you the one to put the messages here in Preventers?" Lady Une once again took over.

"Yes. When I first enlisted with them, I volunteered to do any undercover work here. They almost had me 'join' but when they found out it took so long to get in, changed their minds. I put on a uniform, bribed a few people and had security lapse the time in the surveillance cameras. I had worked with one of them in the past, told him what I was doing the night before and there you go."

"Who did you contact in security?"

"Preventer Oliver Reyes."

Une turned to the Preventer guarding the door.

"Bring me Preventer Reyes from security this moment."

"Yes ma'am," he saluted before leaving.

"Where on colony L-08 is the base located?" Heero asked.

"It is disguised as the Diamond Delivery Corporation. Much like the hospital you stormed, the visible floors of the building are a decoy and the basements below are used as central operations. The group rents out the top of the building to that business for a very low price. The only catch is the delivery businessmen are never allowed to go into the basements or ask questions."

"Hiding in broad daylight," Heero mused.

"Basically, yes."

"Do you believe this is where they would have taken Relena and the others?" Une asked.

"I can only assume. I overheard Lieutenant Mather on the phone with someone and they were speaking about that base. I did some research on my own and found out more about the base, that's how I know what I know. There were a lot of upper level soldiers like myself that were dying to speak about different things they'd heard or just happened to know with each other. It wasn't too difficult to get a grasp on the situation."

"We send you in first. You will continue to act as a double agent for us," Heero told him.

"What? They'll kill me for sure. If they find out I was captured, even if I say that I told you nothing I am as good as dead. Even if I just show up and act like I merely survived your attack, they'll know something is up. Because, if you remember, I wasn't supposed to know that base even existed. Also, you've automatically lost your element of surprise because who's to say someone isn't following me?"

"Are there any others like yourself that you could communicate with?" Une asked, taking what he had said into consideration.

"None that I know of. It's not something I flaunted, obviously, and if there are any others they would have been acting on their own as well."

"You called for me, Lady Une?" Preventer Reyes asked, entering the room. He took one look at the soldier seated across from Une and muttered a quiet, "Oh shit…,"

"Indeed. Have a seat, Preventer Reyes."

He let out a reluctant, "Yes ma'am," and sat in one of the chairs near Lady Une.

"Is it true, Reyes, that you know this man?"

"Yes."

"What is his name and how do you know him?"

"His name is Reginald Lawrence. I know him from Lieutenant Peacecraft's division."

"Did you do him a favor and lapse security tapes even though you knew he was acting without orders?"

"At the time I didn't know he wasn't doing anything against, or without, orders. He just called me the night before and told me he needed me to do it. I thought it was part of an assignment, so I went along."

Preventer Oliver Reyes was a young man, probably around twenty years old with light green eyes, black hair and a tanned complexion. He had come to Preventers seeking employment almost a year ago. As part of security, he knew all of the Gundam pilots who now worked for Preventers, including Heero Yuy. He was, like the majority of the other young officers, quite afraid of Preventer Yuy. As he sat and stared at the silent superior officer, he could feel his skin crawling. Yuy's eyes alone scared many a lower level officer on a daily basis. Only those brave enough would speak to him casually, but they were often met with silent disregard. Heero's reputation preceded him in his division of headquarters. He was, after all, a cold blooded killer. He was a fearless Gundam pilot during the wars that had protected the Vice Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft many times and ultimately helped her to finish both major battles. Their relationship was very unclear for many and speculated upon frequently by many others.

"You realize what you have done has indirectly put Ms. Peacecraft right where the terrorist group wanted her?"

"I realize that now, yes."

Lady Une rose to her feet and eyed the two young Preventers carefully. They seemed to shrink under both her and Heero Yuy's glares.

"Preventer Reyes, when this situation has been absolved you and Preventer Lawrence will be reprimanded severely if not out of a job. You can only pray that we get Ms. Relena out of this situation alive, unharmed and as quickly as possible because otherwise, you will both be worse than unemployed. You will be in prison. I will see to that personally."

She finished and dismissed everyone except for Heero who followed her lead back to her office. Preventer Lawrence was placed back in holding for now. Lucrezia herself would have to ID him later if she even got that chance.

"What do you make of this situation, Preventer Yuy?" She asked his opinion once they were back in the quiet atmosphere of her office. She placed her thin glasses onto her nose and awaited his answer. He was quiet for a moment before responding.

"We'll have to take his word on things. This is the only lead we have and time is a factor. Relena could already be…," he didn't finish his sentence. He didn't have to. Both were enough aware of what was happening.

"Go and find Preventer Chang. You and he need to head to L-08 as soon as possible. There are too many risks in waiting," She told him, the tone of her voice becoming soft. Her military authority was running dry for the evening and the weight of the situation at hand was becoming much heavier as the night went on. She had been in her office since four AM and was now very ready to go home to her apartment and get a few hours sleep before starting again.

"Understood," he stated, and turned to the door.

"Heero," she said wearily.

He stopped moving and awaited the rest of her statement. She almost never called him by his first name. Not unless it was something important.

"All of this fighting… is foolish. It is not what Relena wanted when she assumed her position. The past cannot be recreated or everything all of us have strived for, her especially, will have been for naught. Once her life is out of danger, help to see her dreams come true. She – and the whole world – deserves that. Including you. Your life is not meaningless. I hope she has taught you that."

"She has taught me many things. And I will continue to help her as long as she needs me. I would like to finally enjoy the era of peace she must bring to us all."

"Of course. Now go and bring her home."

He exited silently and Lady Une took her glasses off once more to wipe the smudges from the frames. As she cleaned them, small droplets of water fell from her eyes to the glass. She sat them down on her desk once more and brought her face to rest in the palm of her hand.

XOXOXO

Wufei sat in his and Sally's office under the low light of her tiffany-style lamp. The florescent overhead lights remained off this evening. Their harshness would have been most unwelcome. He had opted to stay out of the interrogation. His temper did not need to flare any more that day and confronting someone that could have enabled the rebel group for his own idolization would have been too much. So instead he had passed the time sitting, thinking and watching the clock. It was now a little after midnight. Yuy and Une had been gone for a little over two hours.

He had recently moved from his desk to Sally's at some point and was looking around at things vacantly, realizing how odd it was to be there without her presence. She would have reprimanded him if she saw that he was shifting casually through the things on her desk. His search for reassurance soon moved to drawers. Buried under a stack of old copies he found a photo. None of them had many pictures to speak of. Quatre, Relena and Trowa were the only ones who openly displayed memories of the past on their desks. Looking at it, a rush of emotion caught him off guard. It was taken many years ago in a hanger. He knew it instantly because it was one of the few times everyone had come together shortly after the war. The candid shot displayed much younger looking versions of all the pilots. Quatre, Trowa and Heero were busy looking into the engine compartment of an old MS while he himself had been caught in the act of yelling at Maxwell for doing something idiotic. Sally must have been the one taking the picture because she had been there with Lucrezia Noin that day. Lucrezia was seen smiling at the exchange between himself and Duo while Sally was nowhere to be found.

Why had he promised to stay that afternoon in Quatre's library? He was getting as bad as Yuy. He told her he wouldn't run away. But he had run away before. After the devastating result of his home colony, he had fled like a coward and sought redemption in fighting and war. But it never came that way. Instead, it had come slowly through the other Gundam pilots and those they encountered along the way. He fought for justice, but also for forgiveness. Heero, of all people, had opened his eyes to the fact that more fighting instead of putting the weapons down would only do more harm. The endless cycle of war had to be broken. That's why he agreed to destroy Nataku then gone to join Preventers and Relena Peacecraft's side, after all. It was also why this group could not be allowed to flourish and continue on their path. He would not tolerate any more senseless violence. And he knew the others wouldn't either.

"Stupid woman," he said, putting the photo back where it came from. He didn't really think of her like that, but it made it slightly easier knowing her life was in danger now. Wufei had come to care about his partner more than he liked to let on. But he knew that she was strong and would be OK until he could get there. It was Relena he was more worried about. Not only was she the target, but she also had no idea how to fight. She only stood up for herself and others through words. And it wasn't likely that words alone would persuade this group of rebels into letting her live.

"We have a lead. You and I are heading out immediately. The shuttle should be ready by 1am so be prepared to leave at that time," Heero said, coming into the doorway and breaking up Wufei's thoughts. In the midst of his thoughts, he hadn't even heard 01 coming.

"Where are we going?"

"Colony L-08. For now, the source checks out. But we won't know for sure until we get Noin back."

"I will meet you at the launch station at 12:50," he said, dismissingly.

Heero nodded and left once more.

Not so long ago, he had wanted to inflict some serious harm on Heero Yuy. Even now it took a lot of effort to try and accept him as an ally once more. After all that had happened, after all everyone else had been through, it was not an easy task. Most times, even just looking in his direction caused anger to rise in his chest. But he had no choice. This was not the time to analyze their relationship or Yuy's relationship with anyone else for that matter. This was the time to get the job done. And that's what he intended to do, no matter who he had to fight alongside.

He leaned back in his chair and decided to rest for just a short while before the shuttle left. Something told him he would be needed all the sleep he could get for what was coming.

XOXOXO

Quatre was still waiting on Trowa to be brought out of surgery. He could feel the burden of his exhaustion sitting menacingly on his shoulders. It did not help that guilt was consuming every part of him. If he hadn't told Relena to come to his villa, none of this would have happened. It was his entire fault. How could he ever make up for this?

When his phone rang from the depths of his pocket, it nearly frightened him.

"Hello," he answered quietly from the hospital waiting room, flipping up the screen to be greeted by Heero's image.

"Quatre, we have a lead. I need for you to meet us as soon as you can on colony L-08. When you reach your destination, let me know. It seems we will need your help," Heero told him, noticing the circles which had formed under Quatre's eyes. They were probably from a combination of lack of sleep, worry and, knowing Quatre, guilt.

"Heero, I can't just leave everyone here."

"They'll be fine. They're safe there. Relena, and Dorothy, are not," he insisted, knowing very well that was a low blow to deliver. He did not have time to play nice.

"Yes you do have a point. It is no time to be selfish. I will catch the first flight I can and meet you and Wufei there."

"See you soon," Heero said before disconnecting.

It seemed he had no choice but to head out once more. Whoever heard of a wealthy businessman infiltrating an enemy compound? He smiled very slightly and realized that the others there in the hospital would all want, if not insist, he go and assist Heero and Wufei. Whatever it was they were about to embark on would be much more difficult without aid from the injured pilots. But he got up none the less, smoothed his pants legs and grabbed a small Styrofoam cup of coffee before he left. He looked at his watch to find it to be almost twelve thirty. As he made his way from the hospital to the street below to find a cab, he realized that it was going to be a very long day.

XOXOXO

Hilde was trying desperately to remain calm. If she stressed out too much it might have a bad effect on the baby. Of course, death could also have a bad effect on the baby. Warm tears ran down her cheeks. She didn't want in this situation. As much as she loved Relena, she would never have come to Quatre's mansion if it meant going through this. She just wanted to be at home in their little two story, three bedroom house located in a suburb not far from Preventers headquarters. Yes, Duo Maxwell the former God of Death now lived in a suburb. He was four years married and his wife was pregnant. He, by all measures, had adapted the best to life without war. But Hilde wasn't sure if she would ever make it home to that little blue house with the white trim and shutters and window boxes overflowing with her annual flowers. And if she did… would her husband? She had no idea if the other pilots had been successful at rescuing him. Duo, the man she loved, could be dead. More tears poured from her eyes and she tried to calm down. So, she thought back to a better time, a time where their lives had been slightly less traumatic. Before the attempt on Relena's life, when Duo was her bodyguard, life seemed pretty good for most everyone. Relena was sad often, but kept it hidden. Hilde knew, though, and tried to keep her spirits up. Duo took Hilde for strolls on a sandy shore often. He hadn't been Relena's bodyguard for very long… Heero had disappeared into the depths and Duo was promoted. One night in particular stood out in her mind over many others.

_They were walking down the shoreline once more. One of her hands was clasped into his and the other held onto her pair of sandals. Duo had been working as Relena's bodyguard for two years now and things were going well. He was pointing out constellations from the sky and telling her about all of them. Mainly they were things she knew about, but it was still nice and she still listened. The year was very young at this point and would end up being the most memorable for all of them. Unfortunately, not entirely for the best reasons. At the end of that year, Relena's life would almost taken by an assassin's bullet. _

"_Hey babe, you know what?" he asked her. _

"_What is it?"_

"_These stars out here are beautiful and all, but I think you're much prettier."_

"_Aw Duo… knock it off," she blushed. _

"_I mean it! I've seen those things up close and so have you. So they're not all that special to me. But you are a different story."_

_She laughed at his cheesy attitude. _

"_I have something I want to ask you Hilde," he said, looking out at the ocean. His grip on her hand tightened. The smile never left his face but he had taken on a more serious tone. She felt her eyebrows come together in concern as she looked at him._

"_What is it?"_

"_Hilde… have you ever thought about getting married?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You know, the whole walking down the aisle, here-comes-the-bride thing."_

"_Well, yes, I suppose so."_

"_Would you be interested in doing all that… with me?"_

_She stared at him for another second and then looked out at the ocean too._

"_Sure. I think that would be really nice."_

_He grinned so wide she thought his face was going to stretch permanently. _

"_I was hoping you'd say that! Because I bought you this!" he said, his voice giddy with excitement. She now felt herself smiling quite widely as well. He dug through his pants pocket for a second before pulling out a diamond solitaire ring. It was beautiful. Not too big and not too small. Just… perfect. He took advantage of her surprise by holding the ring out in front of him and asking,_

"_Will you marry me, Hilde? I know I'm hard to put up with, but I love you and you seem to tolerate me pretty good. That's why I want you with me forever."_

"_Oh Duo! Yes! Yes I'll marry you. I love you so much," she said before dropping her sandals from her hand, jumping up, wrapping her legs around his waist and planting a big kiss on his lips. _

"_Whoo! We're getting married!" Duo yelled happily. Hilde laughed and they toppled to the ground where he slipped the ring onto her finger. Their engagement only lasted a few months. They were married by fall. Then… only two months after their happy event, Relena almost fell to opposition. _

Her lips turned up a little at her memory of the night they got engaged. Hilde Maxwell loved her husband like no other. And she knew that he loved her too.

XOXOXO

Trowa had been taken back to his room some time ago and was trying now to sleep. But his dreams brought nothing but unrest. So he went from sleeping to awake all through the night. He could only assume that his surgery went as well as expected because Quatre was nowhere to be found. A nurse later informed him that his blonde friend had left while he was in surgery, sighting some kind of emergency. Trowa knew that meant they had a lead on Relena's location and Heero would be moving out as soon as possible.

It had taken someone that once told him there was nothing wrong with acting on your emotions eight years to confess his love. Nearly a decade had gone by since they were all just kids, fighting against years of military progress. It didn't seem that long ago, though. To Trowa, it had been consistent enough to fool him into thinking hardly any time had passed since OZ and the likes.

"Trowa!"

He turned his head, thinking at first the medication had fooled too much with his head because that sounded a lot like…

"Trowa!"

Catherine turned the corner into his room and stopped. They stared at each other and her eyes filled with tears. She was wearing a large dark blue button sweater over a black camisole and black cotton pants. Her hair was slightly messy and she didn't seem to have any make-up on. In her hand was a large luggage bag. It seemed pretty obvious she hadn't even put herself together before coming to the hospital.

"Oh my God, Trowa. What happened?" She choked out, coming to his bedside.

"How did you get here so fast?"

"Fast? Well, I suppose I was quick, but Quatre called me at around one AM this morning and told me you were in the hospital and needed me. So I hopped on the first flight out and here I am."

"What time is it?"

She pushed up her sleeve and glanced at her watch.

"It's seven now."

He hadn't even realized it was morning. By this time, Heero and the others were surely at or at least close to their destination. He hoped the best for them and wished he could be alongside.

"I see… thank you for coming, Cathy," he smiled. Quatre had probably called her because he felt guilty for leaving. But Trowa was thankful. He loved Cathy very much and was glad she was here now. For some reason, seeing her this morning made him feel a lot better. He put his un-bandaged hand to her cheek and earnestly thanked her again for coming.

"You're my brother, Trowa. Of course I came. Now please, tell me what happened to you."

"I was shot. We were working to get a fellow Preventer out of the hands of an enemy and I took a bullet for someone."

"Why would you do something foolish like that?!" She gasped, sitting down next to him on his bed.

"Because he deserved to live."

She laid her torso gently over him in a makeshift hug and told him, "You deserve to live too."

He merely stayed quiet.

"Do me a favor," he asked after a moment had gone by.

"What is it Trowa?"

"Please go and find out the condition of the other Preventer. The one we went in to get originally."

"Of course. What is his name?"

"Duo Maxwell. He's a friend."

"One of those you fought with?"

"Yes."

"I see. I'll go and see what I can find out."

"Thank you."

Cathy tucked her bad away in the little closet next to the door, checked her hair in the mirror rather disapprovingly and left to see what she could find. The nurse at the station seemed to have some knowledge of the situation and pointed her in the direction of the ICU unit on the next floor up. She went, not knowing what to prepare herself for. They kindly buzzed her into the unit and she made her way towards the designated door. Another, older nurse approached her.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but do you know this patient?"

"Not really, but my brother Trowa Barton was injured trying to save him. He is with the Preventers too and wanted me to check on his friend."

"Alright… I suppose that would be fine, but take my word, he doesn't look very good."

Cathy swallowed hard and pushed the door open. The man looked vaguely familiar. She was sure that he had come to the circus where she and Trowa performed on at least one occasion. After catching her breath, she slowly made her way to his side.

"My God…," she whispered. He looked terrible. His head and chest were wrapped in clean white gauze bandages, the ventilator tube kept his breathing regulated, he was receiving medication through IVs and his slow heart rate was monitored closely by the blipping machine next to his bed.

"It looks bad, huh?" the nurse that had spoken to her outside said, coming into the room.

"Doesn't he have anyone to sit with him?" Catherine said, noticing the band on his left hand's ring finger.

"According to the nice young man that was here last night, his wife has been taken by whoever did this to him."

A tear escaped down her cheek.

"How bad is he?"

"Well, I'm really not suppose to release that information to anyone but family. But it seems you all are pretty much like family. According to our tests, the gunshot did a number on him alone. But the blood loss could be the worst thing. He seems to still have brain activity, but we won't know for sure how bad it is or isn't until he wakes up. And no one really knows when that will be… When he arrived yesterday, he received blood that should have assisted his body in repairing itself. The gunshot was here, she pointed to his side, and after his operation it was concluded that the damage done to his organs could heal and the surgeons did all they could to stitch up what they could. But we weren't sure if it would be able to heal properly because of the shock to the body from, again, the blood loss."

Catherine sat down in the nearby chair after hearing all of that. Suddenly it dawned on her that Trowa was probably lucky to be where he was with the injury he had.

"Thank you for letting me know all of that. I will be sure to inform my brother," she said vacantly. The nurse reminded her that visiting times were only fifteen minutes and excused herself.

So for the next fifteen minutes, before she had to go and face Trowa with such terrible news about his friend, she sat in silence with the man who might not know she was even there. Before she left she stood over him and kissed his bandaged forehead like the big sister she was. Looking at his cut and bruised face nearly made her cry again.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but I really hope you get better soon. There's someone out there that needs you. You can't let her down. I'll come back in a little while because it's not good for anyone to be alone."

She wiped her eyes and left to go back to Trowa.

XOXOXO

The door opened to Dorothy's cell and she picked her head up and grinned. Show time. She stood from where she was sitting near the back wall. The young soldier was about her height and she was abruptly struck with an even better idea. He went to throw her a bottle of water and she grabbed his arm softly.

"That's a lovely uniform," she said, her voice low and as sultry as she could make it.

"I have to go," he said, harshly.

"Wait… can't you stay for just a moment? It's been so long since I've seen a man as handsome as you," she practically purred, coming closer to him.

"I-I really should –"

She unbuttoned her blouse and threw it on the floor. He started to inch back, weary of her advances.

"I would love to be with a _real_ man. No one will miss you for just a few minutes," she came even closer.

Something changed in his eyes as she tossed her bra to the floor. He kicked the door shut. Bingo.

"A real man, huh?" he asked, coming closer.

"Oh yeah."

"Well then… I don't see what a few minutes could hurt."

She pressed herself against him, unbuttoning his shirt. He fondled her, and she let him. She had an objective. That's when she noticed his gun sitting in its holster near his belt. Her hands first took off the pair of pants she was wearing to lure him into a sense of security. Then, as he bit coyly at her neck, her fingers moved to his belt.

"Whoa wait a second," he said suddenly. She grew anxious that he had figured her out.

"Allow me," he said, cocking his eyebrow and undoing his belt. It, along with his pants, fell to the floor.

"Perfect," she thought.

Carefully placing herself very close to that holster, she sat on the floor and patted the ground next to her, telling him to sit by her. He very happily complied, just as she knew he would. As Dorothy's lips worked diligently on his lips, her arm reached behind her unnoticed. Once she had a firm grip on his gun, she pulled it quickly from the holster and hit him on his head with the butt of the firearm as hard as she could. He made no sound as he crumpled over sideways to the floor. She hit him another time or two to insure his comatose state. Once she knew he was going to be out for a while, she got to work. Quickly, she grabbed up his clothes and dressed herself in them and when she was done, she put him into her clothes and laid him as far from the door as possible, with head facing away from the entrance. Before leaving, she grabbed his hat and stuffed all of her blonde hair into the top of it. She lowered it enough that no one would see her face fully. Reaching down, she took the water bottle he had been bringing her, just in case.

"Thanks a lot," she smirked before leaving and locking the door behind her. Another soldier was passing by.

"That one in there is being difficult. No more water for her," she told him in her best male voice.

"Hah, no problem. I'm against giving any of these bitches water in the first place."

She laughed along with him while considering the possibility of shooting him. No, that would blow her cover right away.

"Yeah I know, I totally agree. But orders are orders. Where's the pregnant one? I gotta go take this to her before the boss gets mad,"

"Oh yeah, she was moved wasn't she? Second level, third door on the right," the other soldier told her.

"Thanks," she said huskily before striding off. Why would they have moved her?

XOXOXO

Relena was thrown into a room that was actually illuminated. It was lined with bookshelves and in the middle was a rich colored wooden desk.

"Greetings, Relena Peacecraft. How nice of you to… drop in like this."

The male voice behind her made her skin crawl. She turned around and tried to be as diplomatic as she could while still woozy. A tall, middle aged man eyed her like his next meal. His dress was that of an army general. He wore his graying black hair short with long side burns running to the bottom of his jaw. The cold, dark blue eyes penetrated hers.

"Are you the one behind all of this?"

"How flattering that you would automatically guess. Yes, that would be me. And now my dear, you are all mine."

"What is your name?"

"Ah yes, how rude of me. You will be needing something to call out when I have my way with you, won't you?"

She felt her eyes open wide and she took a step back. He also stepped forward.

"My name is General Syrus Parker. Now, we've got a lot to do before that soldier of yours arrives, don't we?"

"What?"

"Yuy. There is no doubt that he will be coming. It is you, after all. And he's always there to save you. But not this time. Before I made a very public display of your demise, Miss Relena, let's get him good and wound up, shall we?"

"You're mad!"

"Yes… I suppose that would be an accurate word for it," he grinned.

He was fast. Too fast. She went to duck him but he grabbed her left arm. Relena tried to struggle to get away but couldn't. That was her weak arm and the more she struggled, the worse the pain became.

"Heh, still a little damaged from that failed assassination attempt, I see. That worthless no good wasn't worth the money we paid him. It's a good thing your people gunned him down. It certainly saved our bullets."

"What?!"

"Yes yes… that pathetic excuse for an assassin was a little glimpse of what was to come from my group."

"But that was four years ago!"

"We have been building our strength for quite some time, miss Relena. You see, you're worth it!"

He tugged her arm with great force and she fell backwards into him. She would have fought more than she did, but her injury made her weak and unable to defend herself. He quite easily threw her to the floor and pounced on top of her.

"I have always wanted to do this. A woman like you deserves this. I can think of no better way to rouse that Gundam pilot you cling to so desperately than telling him all about what I'm about to do to you right before killing you, which will happen, believe me," he hissed. She wiggled and thrashed from under his weight, but he had her pinned and her left arm was nearly numb from all of the work she was doing with it. She had to get away from this crazy man.

She could feel him grinding into her through his dress pants. She begged him not to do it. He called for something to tie her down with because of her uncooperative attitude and one of his henchmen brought a long cord of rope. After making sure she was secure he began ripping at her clothes, shoving her skirt up around her waist. She glared and pleaded for him to stop, but he kept on. He was harsh, angry and ignored her cries. Relena could feel the tears coming but fought them. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry during this. He demanded she say his name during his raid on her, but she refused. Each time she refused, the back of his hand met with her jaw.

While in the act of humiliating her, one of his soldiers barged in.

"Sir! The Preventers have been sighted. They're on their way here,"

"You idiot! Knock first!"

"Sorry, sir, but the group…,"

"Yes alright. It is as expected. Attack as soon as you see them. I will be taking this little prize with me for now. I am not quite ready to give Heero Yuy the satisfaction of greeting me and as long as I have her," he cupped Relena's chin so hard she thought he might actually break it, "he will keep searching for me and when he finds me, I will have something dear to him. Then I will kill her right before his eyes."

The other soldier shouted a, "Yes, sir," before exiting again. He finished what he had started, then stood and put his garments back on. She was still wearing her bloodstained dress, though it was now ripped considerably. Relena prayed it would hold together. He untied her, but then tied her hands once more. In front this time so she wouldn't be tempted to escape. Before they left, Parker went to his desk and pulled an impressive looking gun from the top drawer. He shoved it into her back and they started to move. She nearly lost her balance several times before actually falling. His shoe dug suddenly into her side as he kicked her. The force of it knocked the air from her lungs and she gasped for air.

"Get up! Let's go!"

Soldiers rushed all around them, heading to the back of the building. Parker led her down a different path. There was what looked like a dead end, but the wall opened revealing an elevator.

"My personal escape. Just in case something like this happened."

She did not speak to him. When they emerged from the elevator, Relena squinted at the light. The sun's light was unsympathetic to her eyes that had grown accustomed to the dim lighting. They were in a parking garage. A car pulled up and the leader shoved her into a dark car with black tinted windows before getting in as well. The car peeled out and they were gone. He looked over at her and sneered.

"Good thing I have my own personal shuttle and don't have worry with cleaning you up, Princess."

She merely kept her eyes on the floor. Relena refused to speak to the man anymore and would just hope what he said was true that he didn't plan on killing her just yet. Why would he wait for Heero though? Why not just get it over with…

XOXOXO

Well! Pretty long, huh? I wrote this in about a week, believe it or not. I tell you, inspiration is a glorious thing. Next update could actually be here within the next month if I can keep up this pace.

Truthfully, I hit a really hard hiatus before the last update and lost my direction for this story. It almost didn't continue. But now I have it completely mapped out and was struck with the perfect ending while, of all places, in the shower one morning. From what I can see, it will probably be 9 chapters, including an epilogue. Which is insanely cool to think about because when I put all of them together in my computer (which I will after it is complete instead of chapter form like right now) then I will have a small novel sized work on my hands (around 200 pages hopefully)! My grad student husband will surely be jealous. But this is probably more fun to write than a thesis…

Please leave a review!!!


	7. Desperate Times

Well, here we go again! Back into action. Everyone enjoy!

_**Chapter Seven: Desperate Times**_

Dorothy pulled down on her cap again so her identity would remain secret and ran like a fish swimming upstream against the crowd of soldiers that were heading for the exit behind her. They paid her no mind as they whirled past her, all toting large firearms and shouting different orders. She had overheard many of them barking to get outside and stop the Preventers from getting in the compound at all costs. Chaos wasn't even the right word for what seemed to be going on. Glad to hear about the boys finally arriving, she smiled as she slammed into enemy after enemy that got in her way, knowing their remaining time in this life was short. At last, she reached a stairwell and got to the hallway she had been informed that Hilde was located in. As she searched for the room, she kept a steady hand on her gun. Just in case her cover was somehow blown. The hall she stood in seemed to be deserted. It seemed all of the occupants were busy with a new distraction outside.

Finding the room in question, she threw the door open. At first she didn't see anything and thought she had the wrong one, but a shifting form in a darkened corner caught her eye. She stepped inside and the silent figure seemed to tremble. Hilde sat in the farthest corner of the room mostly hidden by the shadows, her head was tilted upwards and resting against the wall and her arms were clutched around her abdomen in a sad, but protective manner. It was just like when they raided the mansion, except she was far more fearful and shaken up now. Tears were pouring down her cheeks as she squinted her eyes at the new presence in the room. She was temporarily blinded by the fresh burst of light, having been in darkness most of the day and only saw someone in rebel clothing. Immediately a sob escaped. She never used to be this pathetic, she abruptly realized. During the war she was spunky and never afraid of danger. But then she got married… and now she had someone waiting inside of her womb that depended on her for their safety.

"Please… please don't hurt my baby," her voice choked out.

"Hilde, it's me! I'm not going to hurt you," Dorothy said, removing the cap and letting her long blonde hair fall down her back.

"Dorothy! How did you manage –"

"There's no time," Dorothy twisted her hair back up on her head and replaced the cap hiding the blonde mound once more, "we have to get out of here. I've heard the Preventers are outside."

"I don't know where anyone else is. I don't know where they took Relena!" Hilde said, wiping her tears from her cheeks.

"It's OK, we'll find her somehow… For now, let's get you out of here."

Hilde nodded reluctantly and fought to stand up. Dorothy extended her hand for support and led the way. She was determined the pregnant woman would get out from this prison and stay safe. Stopping in the doorway, she extended her neck out into the hall and peeked around to make sure the coast was still clear. Except for the two of them, no one appeared to be on that floor.

"Maybe we should just wait here for the guys?" Hilde asked, worried about going into gunfire that was more than likely taking place outside.

Dorothy weighed the options carefully in her mind before proceeding into the unknown. They would have to go through the enemy soldiers to get out. If they waited, Preventers soldiers would clear the path for them and Hilde would be in less danger.

"Yes, we'll wait here. They're looking for us anyway. And if someone else comes first… well, I'll take care of them," she patted the gun in her hand for good measure and to reassure both of them.

Dorothy closed to the door again to avoid suspicion and they went back to the dimly lit corner which Hilde had previously occupied. She helped Hilde sit once more then crouched down next to her, holding her gun across her lap. Though their lives were essentially still in danger, Hilde was more at ease not being alone this time in the dark room.

**XOXOXO**

Catherine had been alternating all day between Trowa and Duo's bedsides. Fortunately, the doctors decided that Duo should be taken off the ventilator and just given oxygen through his nostrils. His vitals had remained steady long enough to take that chance and so far so good. Now she had come to rest in her brother's room once more. She felt exhausted as she slumped down further into the chair stationed by Trowa's bed. Bright shades of orange and purple swirled in the afternoon sky outside the window. This was the first time in a long time that she had been to the Earth and somehow she had forgotten how beautiful the natural sunsets could be. Her hand ran slowly through her hair as she considered taking advantage of the shower in Trowa's room. A change of clothes would probably do her good as she was still wearing the outfit she had been wearing the previous night. She glanced over at Trowa. He was sleeping once again and she was glad because his body needed the break and the rest. The medication he was taking for the pain acted like a sleeping pill and he had been out most of the day. While he had been awake she could tell he was distracted and upset about something, but he had yet to say what. One thing was for sure in her mind, though, whatever it was tied into his taking that bullet. He had mentioned that the guy he took it for deserved to live. She felt herself begin to frown. Why would he say anything like that? Didn't he know how important he was? She moved her hand once again to cover his bandaged one and squeezed it. His long fingers wrapped around her hand in response to her touch and his eyelids slowly slid open. He stared blankly up at the ceiling tiles.

"You don't have to stay here with me, Cathy," he stated, not even looking her direction. His mind was cloudy, but by his reasoning, he would be out of the hospital by the end of the week at the latest. Then, he would go back to his place with the circus troop and take some long needed vacation time from Preventers. There, he could sort things out in his mind and thoughts without the distraction of Relena.

"Of course I'm going to stay here with you. Don't be silly. And when you're better, I'm taking you home with me. You need some time away from this new job of yours."

"That's what I was thinking too. It will be nice to go back to having you throw knives at me," he smiled, finally letting his gaze fall over to her. Her small smile brought warmth to his heart. At least his sister loved him.

"Trowa, what's wrong?"

"Other than I've been shot?" he mocked.

She wasn't amused and the corners of her mouth lowered into a frown.

"Yes. You act as if you're depressed about something."

"No. It's just the medication."

"Well it certainly seems like-"

"Catherine. It's nothing. Please let it go."

He closed his eyes again and that was that. She didn't push the topic any more. In their time together she had realized that she had to choose her battles with Trowa. If he wanted to talk about it, he would. But obviously she couldn't force it out of him. That was Trowa… so stubborn. She leaned closer and folded her arms on the side of his bed. Then, leaning her head on his shoulder, a sigh escaped and she found herself just thankful that he was alive. And she was relieved that he was still here no matter what his attitude, stubbornness and all.

With his eyes closed, he could block out her frown and disappointment with him because he wouldn't share his feelings with her. The truth was he didn't want to discuss his feelings with anyone, even his own sister. There was nothing to be gained from it, only the soreness of continually re-opening an established wound. Relena had made her choice and it wasn't him. And last time he checked, he wasn't a teenager anymore. He was a man and would deal with it as such. She was still dear to him, of course, but any romantic thoughts for her needed to be extinguished as soon as they materialized. Until he met another he loved as much as her, he would keep his feelings at bay.

"I'm going to shower. I'll be out in a few minutes," she told him, standing up and going to get her bag from the little closet by the door. She had tucked it in there that morning and nearly forgot about it.

"Cathy, go and get a hotel room. There's no need in your staying here all night," he told her sternly. Now it was he that was acting like the older sibling, instead of the other way around.

"No way, Trowa. If you're here, I'm here."

She was so stubborn.

**XOXOXO**

He dialed the number as fast as he could while putting his pants on. The garments he had been admitted in were torn, bloody and smelled of smoke but it was all he had.

"Sir! You haven't been discharged yet! You need to stay here at least a few more days so your wounds can properly heal!" The small nurse tried to force him back into bed. He would have none of that and brushed her aside like she was an annoying insect. When he went to put his shirt on, he realized the tube was still attached to his hand preventing him from finishing getting dressed. Looking down at the hand in question, he ripped the IV from his vein without so much as flinching and when it began to bleed, the startled nurse left to retrieve a bandage.

"Une here," she finally answered her line. It seemed like it rang forever. Her make-up could not entirely conceal the dark circles that had formed underneath her eyes. Her brown orbs were tired and he could see all of the stacked up work that had accumulated on her desk. And yet, even after noticing all that, sympathy eluded him.

"Une I want an update. What's going on?"

"Milliardo, are you crazy? What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving this damn hospital and going to help find my sister. It was only a gunshot wound. It's nothing I haven't been through before."

"Last I heard the Preventers are still on L-08 raiding a base we were leaked information on. I haven't received anything from them in hours. My guess is this division put up more of a fight then the previous one."

"They haven't said whether they found Relena or not yet? I'll kill Yuy!"

"Calm down. You're in no position to be killing anyone."

The petite blonde nurse had returned and put the bandage on his hand, frowning in disapproval of his huffing around.

With his hand now free, he pushed his arms into the sleeves of his shirt.

"If you have forgotten, Une, they are holding the only family I have hostage. I'm going to L-08 as soon as possible."

"It is not necessary, Milliardo! I sent more than enough men to handle the situation as we saw it. If you're so determined to leave the hospital then return to headquarters and I will brief you on things. Then we can take action from there."

"When this is over I'm making Relena quit this damn job! It's not worth it and I'm at the end of my emotional rope." His voice suddenly was tired on top of the initial frustration.

"Good luck with that," Une said, cocking her eyebrow sarcastically.

"I'll be there soon."

"I will be here waiting for your arrival. And, Lieutenant Peacecraft, please do everyone a favor and clean yourself up before coming in."

He grunted out a reply and flashed a glare. She was clearly not impressed.

They each hung up; he finished buttoning the shirt and stormed from the room with the nurse on his heels. She struggled to match his pace but was quickly falling behind.

"You at least have to sign the necessary paperwork, sir! Sir?!"

"Send it to my office. I'll mail it back. I don't have time for that now."

And he was gone. She was going to be in SO much trouble…

**XOXOXO**

His weight pushed into several soldiers, trying not to kill any of them, just knock them out. It was a lot harder than just picking them off with a shot from his heavy artillery but he pressed on. At the last confrontation, he had broken his promise and killed many men. It seemed like a noble purpose, but Relena wouldn't have approved no matter how supposedly noble the purpose. The thought of him spilling even more blood would have most definitely made her sad. And he had done that enough. He would have to spend the rest of his life making her happy to even partially make up for all of the shit he had put her through. The battlefield was filled with hand to hand combat and other Preventers were throwing gas bomb after gas bomb to try and clear the field. The noxious fumes were slowly working to weaken the other side. Preventer soldiers all wore masks to block out the gas.

"Heero! We've been here most of the day, we have to regroup and get in there!" Quatre said muffled by his mask, heading back to the Preventer vehicle behind them. Heero and Wufei followed and left the rest of the Preventer soldiers to their work.

Heero pulled out a set of blueprints he had received from the county office and spread them over a makeshift table. They all lifted their masks and began studying the prints.

"This place has five basement levels. Therefore, the women could be anywhere. We have to make use of our time in there. No messing around what-so-ever, we've been here too long as is," Heero commanded, making use of his higher rank once more. The other two men by his side nodded in agreement, while trying to memorize the blueprints.

They were now free to infiltrate the building as much as needed. The first part of this fight had mostly been clearing out the office space occupied by Diamond Delivery. He had to call the CEO on the way there and let him know to evacuate his workers from the building, as it was about to be raided.

"_What?!"_

"_That is correct. The men you have been leasing your building on L-08 from are part of a rebel group who now has the Vice Foreign Minister and other innocent women as their captives," Heero explained to the white haired older man over Diamond Delivery._

"_I knew those bastards were no good! They lease us this building for next to nothing and that 'no questions asked' deal has always worried me. But we're just starting this new division of the company and I had to take advantage of their rates," the old man's voice carried a hint of regret. _

"_What was the name of the person who leased you the space?"_

"_Let's see… his name will be on the contract," the man pulled a pair of reading glasses and called for his secretary. A slender brunette who couldn't be over thirty quickly entered the room. Heero was sure the woman had not been hired for her typing skills. Mr. Diamond shouted for her to bring him the lease and she disappeared again for only a moment before returning and producing a stapled, clean white stack of papers. He thumbed through it until he reached the signatures._

"_Looks like his name was Cole Mather. I spoke to him once. His appearance is really… well, harsh I suppose would be the best way to say it. I can see now how he would lead a terrorist group."_

"_Thank you for your cooperation. I would advise you to evacuate your building quickly. We will be there within the hour."_

"_Yes of course. Thank you for the heads up Preventer Yuy. Good luck on finding the Vice Foreign Minister. I dare say we would all be lost if something happened to her and those nice visions of peace."_

Armed with the validated information about Mather, Heero now had a firm grasp on exactly who the puppet was. On the shuttle ride to L-08, he had taken the liberty to investigate all that he could on the sub-leader for this particular group. The information was limited to old OZ personnel files and he couldn't find any fresh information. Mather had been off the radar officially for years. There was a photo, but it was taken when he first started with OZ at the ripe young age of 29. That was ten years ago and now the man had a more startling look, according to the CEO, Mr. Diamond. Even his identification sources, which were to be updated every few years, were missing. It was like he no longer existed. So, although Heero had a rough idea of what to expect from Mather, he had yet to figure out the puppeteer. He was sure that Cole Mather would be there in that complex, but the head honcho was a different story. It was possible he had already departed. The other attack was too anticipated and that would have given plenty of time to get out. But at the way these rebels were fighting this time, they had struck much earlier than the enemy expected. They were more highly trained than the last batch that was for sure, but still caught off guard and unprepared. That put favor right into the Preventers court.

Once he saw that the path to the building was thinning and they had a chance to recheck the blueprints one last time, the three ex-pilots made a dash for the building's entrance. Heero shouted out to one of the lower Preventers to take charge of the operation there on the grounds while they got inside. Each of them had a good understanding of the interior's layout, which was a clear advantage over the last meeting with this group.

"I'm going to the bottom floor, you two search together starting from the top. Leaders tend to bury themselves," Heero shouted as they made their way closer to the entrance.

Wufei dodged the conflict around him and locked eyes with Heero. They shared a small nod before Wufei called out to him.

"He'll have Relena. We'll find the others."

"Hn," was the only reply he got before 01 surged forward and practically flew into the building.

**XOXOXO **

Though they were supposed to stay together, upon entering the building, Wufei and Quatre simultaneously agreed to split up to find the girls. Quatre went deeper and Wufei stayed high though he figured none of them would actually be up on that top level. But that didn't mean he might not find something important.

Quatre almost fell down the stairs he was moving so fast. Here they were again, one step behind the enemy. He hadn't ever been a real Preventer. He always had his hands way too full with running his father's company, but since all of the people he considered close friends had at least some tie with Preventers, he had a firm grasp on all of the situations. Mainly because one of Duo's old habits was to sneak past his security guards so he could give him updates on everything and everyone. In fact, it quickly became one of Duo's favorite games to play. He would literally time himself to see how swiftly he could get around the security team without being detected. Quatre found himself praying again silently for his injured friend. Hopefully they would be able to deliver Hilde back to her husband's side soon and that would aid in his recovery. The silence in the halls was eerie. It took him only a moment to guess the rooms were soundproofed.

This had to be the main base. With every door he pounded in, more electrical equipment was found. It was like a nerve center down there. Some rooms were dank, empty and were probably used for holding rooms and cells. The last door he kicked in on that hallway he noticed something. It was a holding cell and empty except for a lanky body lying motionless in the corner. Only the persons back and legs were visible. Quatre opened the door wider for more light and suddenly recognized the clothing.

"Dorothy!"

He could feel the blood rush away from his head, making him feel lightheaded as he cautiously made his way closer to the body. There was quite a bit of blood on the floor, which made his stomach feel as if it were dragging behind him on the ground. But as he got nearer he realized something was off… she looked different. When he reached the unconscious person he got quite a shock. That wasn't Dorothy. It was a man, dressed in her clothes and sporting a gaping head wound. Now he was really confused. He bent and checked for a pulse. When he found a weak one, he sighed and figured he would have to come back for the injured man after finding Dorothy and getting an explanation. The man could be treated later. First things first.

Quatre took in a relieved breath and started for the corridor again. His footsteps on the hard tile floor echoed all around him and he felt a sudden shiver run down his spine. Maybe they were toying with him? Maybe when the Preventers began their surge on the building they had killed her, injured one of their own and left him in her clothing just to get to him. He shook his head to try and shake the thought out. He continued downward in the next stairwell. The women had to be there somewhere.

When he shoved open the first door on the new level, he was greeted with a surprise. He was thrown to the ground without really knowing what happened.

"Quatre! Thank God it's really you!"

"Huh?" He managed, regaining his footing. A soft hand reached out and helped him up.

"Sally! I should have known," he smiled, rubbing his head.

She looked fine with only a few bruises on the visible part of her arm.

"I'm so glad to see you. That means we can finally get out of this Hell hole. Have you found Relena?"

"No not yet. Heero is searching the bottom floor,"

"Well he better hurry. We don't have long. I overheard there was some sort of self destruct device wired up in this building. Who knows how long we have! If we could find Lucrezia and the mechanism, I'm sure the two of us could disable it."

"So that's why no one stayed in the building… all of the soldiers ran outside when we arrived."

"Let's hurry!"

They stumbled out of the room and took off down the hall, checking every room as they went.

**XOXOXO**

Wufei had searched the top floor completely. The only disturbing thing he found was in a locked room. A computer with a heavily encrypted code rapidly scrolling across the screen sat in the middle of the room. He made a mental note of it and went on his way. The first thing was to recover all of the hostages. Then they could figure out what the Hell was going on with these people. If Heero was on the bottom floor and Quatre started at the third basement then he needed to now inspect the second one.

"First basement is clear," he noted into his radio.

"Third basement is empty as well. I have located Preventer Po on the fourth level. We're not through this corridor yet."

There was no transmission from Heero.

When Wufei heard that Quatre had found Sally his heart did the tiniest leap and his pace quickened ten-fold down the steps to the next floor. Still missing were Lucrezia, Relena, Dorothy and Hilde but hopefully they were all OK. Why wouldn't Yuy have responded? Maybe the bottom floor was more tedious than the ones he and Quatre had been going through. He ran down the hallways kicking in doors as he went. After nothing but either dark, empty rooms or ones full of electrical equipment he was getting frustrated.

On the last door he kicked it in and saw an armed enemy soldier leap to his feet. Wufei fired his rifle and the soldier gripped his arm, letting the firearm fall to the ground. The sound of his gun going off, the other soldier's hitting the ground and a scream from behind the enemy reverberated for several seconds in the large room.

"What the -?" he said at the sound of the scream, coming into the room and getting a better view.

"Wufei!" Hilde yelled.

So the soldier was supposed to be guarding her huh? He was about to fire his gun again when he noticed the soldier raise his good arm weakly and take the cap from his head with a blood-soaked hand. Mounds of platinum hair fell and he felt his heart freeze.

"Dorothy?!" He said, letting his surprise show.

"Good shot," she said, kneeling down, gripping her wounded arm.

"You didn't even scream."

"No. That's not the first bullet I've ever taken, you know," she tried to be witty.

"I… apologize."

"Don't. I realize what it looked like. Let's just get out of here."

Wufei came to help Hilde stand up yet again and then proceeded ahead of the two women. He was getting out of there since he now had Hilde with him. Quatre and Yuy would have to finish things up without him if he didn't return in time.

"I have Maxwell's wife and Dorothy. One minor injury. I'm taking them up to the surface and will return shortly."

"What's the injury?" Quatre's voice came over the radio.

"Minor gunshot wound to Ms. Catalonia."

"Situation?"

"Clear. She'll be fine."

"Good," the relief in Quatre's voice could be heard even over the static of the radio.

He led the women back up the stairs, which was not an easy task for Hilde to take, and outside. There was still fighting going on, but it had broken down to sporadic instead of overwhelming like when they first made it into the building.

"Are they dead?" Hilde asked, stepping over the enemy soldiers littering the grounds.

"Some of them. Others are just out from the gas bombs from earlier. They'll regain consciousness in prison," he told her. She kept her eyes on the ground, and tried not to trip over anyone.

Wufei led them down a cleared path where no fighting was taking place to awaiting vehicles. He loaded them both into an ambulance and told the driver they both needed to be checked out but Dorothy's wound required immediate medical attention. The ambulance screeched off in the direction of the nearest hospital. After they had left his sight, he headed back in the direction of the building.

**XOXOXO**

Heero had found Lucrezia Peacecraft, black eye and all, in one of the many holding rooms of the intricate bottom floor. She couldn't see as well as he would have liked, so he made her hold onto his hand as they went in search for Relena.

"_Heero!" she called out when the door flew open._

"_Hn," she was not the person he was hoping to find. It was then he noticed the green, blue and purple colors her skin had turned around her left eye. Her clothing was torn and she was walking with a slight limp as she came closer toward him. At least she was alive. Now Milliardo would be less likely to have a stroke. _

"_Have you found the others?"_

"_Everyone except for Relena," he mentioned. The disappointment in his voice was nearly untraceable, yet she managed to pick up on it. _

"_I hope she's OK. I'll help you search."_

_He nodded and they left her holding cell. On the radio he finally made his presence known when he updated Lucrezia's status. _

"_I have Preventer Peacecraft,"_

"_Heero, I'm on my way down to the bottom floor with Preventer Po," Quatre told him. _

_Wufei did not send a response because he was already on his way back._

"Heero!" Quatre yelled, spotting him escorting Lucrezia down yet another hallway. Sally was right behind him.

"Come and help her. She's slowing me down. I have to keep searching," he spat before rushing off again.

"Are you OK?" Quatre asked, noticing Lucrezia's injuries.

"I'll be fine."

"We have to hurry, Quatre!" Sally reminded.

"Why? What's going on?" Lucrezia asked.

"Sally says she overheard something about an explosive device."

"What?!"

"A self destruct mechanism. I don't know where it would be located or when it would have been set to go off," Sally explained.

"While Heero is looking for Relena, we'll search for the device. It's got to be here somewhere," Lucrezia ordered. She ran a tired hand over her face, flinching when she touched the bruised skin around her eye.

**XOXOXO**

Heero stumbled upon another room he wasn't too thrilled with shortly after leaving Lucrezia behind with Quatre and Sally. As soon as the door flew open he was overwhelmed with the smell of blood. It was a distinct smell he remembered very well from his time in the wars. A vast area of the floor was stained with the black remnants of dried blood. They had found everyone else… so either this was from another random victim or it was Relena's blood that had been spilled so freely. He would have put money on the latter option. After looking around, he determined that there was no trail like with Duo. They had left her in there until the blood had dried or stopped coming…

"Relena," he whispered quietly.

He took off again down the hall with a renewed sense of urgency. Whatever had happened here to her was not good in any way. All of the signs he was getting, the other women being beaten, shot and so on, plus finding an empty bloodstained room amounted to something bad. And that bad feeling was making the hair on his arms and the back of his neck prickle in a way that Relena being in danger only could. His eyes involuntarily narrowed as he was running out of rooms to search. The dread he was holding in his stomach was nearly tangible and he could feel his outward appearance going into rage because of it. With every door he kicked in, it became a little more fierce and furious than the last. A door that nearly came off of its hinges when his foot made contact opened to reveal a very differently decorated room than any of the others. He knew instantly that he had found something. The floor was carpeted, bookshelves full of military manuals and strategy guides lined the walls. In the center of the room was a large dark wooden desk. Something about this room made him feel uneasy. It was empty. He turned around as Wufei made his way into the room as well.

"What is this?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Heero responded. Something on the floor caught his attention; more dried blood and a tattered piece of white fabric. He bent and picked up the piece of white cloth. It was a fragment of Relena's dress. Wufei realized this too and noticed the blood splattered on the carpet as well.

"Well well… what do we have here?" A new voice caused both men to jerk their heads toward the source and back further into the room. Their weapons were drawn in a heartbeat.

"Searching for a princess, huh? The damsel in distress if I may," his words were like venom as he slowly came closer.

"Cole Mather," Heero stated. He vaguely could place the man from his old OZ military photo, but the years had not been good to this man.

The man that stood in front of them grinned and Heero now knew why Mr. Diamond had said what he did. Mather was indeed a frightening sight to behold. His mid-length blonde hair was starting to turn the faintest tint of white and cloudy grey eyes that had seen countless battles stared out at them with little regard. It seemed they were nothing more than children playing with toy guns to him. His tanned face and neck bore deep scars and when he smiled, the sharp features of his face seemed to make it all the more alarming.

"If you're looking for your damsel, the bitch isn't here. As you've probably already guessed."

Heero felt the violent urge to shoot the man's head clean off his shoulders. Wufei felt himself puff up as he drew in a quiet breath, but remained silent.

"Where is she?" Heero hissed, now determined to be more intimidating than the man before him. He leaned his posture back and felt his bangs shift over defiant cold blue eyes.

"Terribly sorry there, Yuy, but I cannot give you that information yet. You see, my boss is having a little too much… 'fun' with your princess to give her up right now."

Heero could feel himself start to lose it. It was literally taking everything he had to remain still and not fire his gun.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Mather told him, cocking an eyebrow, "because before the next five minutes are up, this place is going to be nothing more than a crater and a distant memory."

"What?!" Wufei felt the words fall from his mouth.

Mather smiled again and Wufei felt his stomach turn.

"This place is set to detonate in less than five minutes. Might I suggest running for it?"

"Not before I get answers!" Heero shouted.

"Such a brave man… don't you want to rescue her?"

Heero brought his rifle up in a defiant move to prove to Mather that he was not only serious, but just as fearless and deadly as his reputation let on. But Mather was prepared, pulling a gun of his own.

"Now now… don't be hasty there Preventer Yuy. I _am_ the only one that knows where she is. Unfortunately for you, I do not plan on leaving this compound."

When he realized that Mather was distracted, Wufei fired a shot and the gun in his hand went flying across the room. Heero sped forward and decked him across the jaw then in the abdomen and Mather himself toppled to the ground much like his weapon. His leg came up and knocked Heero's leg off balance almost causing him to fall. Wufei fired another shot and Mather screamed out loud as a bullet went into his leg.

Heero picked up a chair from the corner and brought it down with shocking force over Cole Mather's head.

"Yuy! Control yourself! He knows where Relena and the main operative are, so you can't kill him just yet," Wufei scolded.

"Hn. What do you think he meant by a little too much 'fun'?"

"I don't think I want to know while we can't do anything about it," Wufei said, his eyes focusing elsewhere as he threw the unconscious and bloody Cole Mather over his shoulder, "let's just get the hell out of here."

Heero was quick to get on the radio.

"Everyone out! I repeat, everyone out of the building! It is set to detonate! Preventer Chang and I are on our way out!"

"Do you have her?" Sally's voice rang out through the radio transmission and stung his ears.

"No. But we have someone who will know where she is… Ending transmission."

It was suddenly like they were racing against each other instead of the clock. Quatre scooped Lucrezia up and Sally kept close proximity as they ran down the hallways and up the stairs towards the outdoors. In the rush, Quatre forgot about the soldier that was dressed in Dorothy's clothing.

Not far behind them were Heero, Wufei and Mather. Sometimes Heero would have the lead but then Wufei would jet in front of him and they were so focused on getting out that nothing else penetrated their field of vision. The most important thing was to just get out. If they died here today, Relena would fall to the terrorists completely and who knew what would happen to the fragile bond between the Earth and space? The colonies and earth both looked to her passive ways for guidance at this time because their dealings directly with each other were not stable enough to generate trust. She acted as a symbol of unity and peace for both.

Quatre burst through the door leading outside and continued running. He never thought he would be so happy to see the outdoors. They got to the edge of the property before he let Lucrezia down from his arms.

"Thank you, Quatre."

He merely smiled at her before turning his worried eyes back to the compound. Next to him, he heard Sally take in a deep breath and slowly exhale before she got back on the radio.

"Preventer Yuy and Chang, hurry up! You're running out of time!"

"You don't think we know that? We're coming," Heero snapped back.

She let out a small huff in exasperation and Quatre found himself letting out a quiet laugh despite the current state of affairs. In the next moment, the door flew open again and Heero and Wufei came stumbling out into the crisp night air. They spotted Quatre and the two women on the outer perimeter and headed in that direction. The second the two men came to a stop and let the injured enemy slip from grip to the ground, the building behind them exploded. The light was so brilliant; it was like the sun had come out again. Everyone ducked as the shockwave from the explosion whipped across the grounds, almost knocking all of them over. It was fast and when it had stopped raining debris, they stood and looked towards where the building was. Only parts of the skeleton were still standing and even those fell into the newly formed crater within the next few minutes, sending up clouds of dirt and dust when they did fall. Preventers were scattered around the lot, still wearing their gas masks, pulling bodies off the field into awaiting vehicles. Most were placed into body bags before being hauled away.

Wufei looked over at Sally for a fleeting moment. She wasn't hurt too badly and a rush of temporary relief overcame him. She was bruised here and there from their fight back at the mansion, but nothing too terrible. Not like Lucrezia. He was sure that because Preventer Noin-Peacecraft was related to Relena, even by marriage, she had seen the brunt of the abuse. And it showed. She was barely able to open her left eye because of the fierce swelling and her clothes were torn from a struggle. When she went to walk to where Sally was, he noticed her limping. Her leg was surely broken. She was trying to downplay the pain, but each time the foot in question hit the ground her face winced ever so slightly.

Heero sprinted off down the field to get the report from his lower level that had been left in charge on what had taken place outside the building while they had been inside. After he gathered all the information he would report back to Une to give her a complete recount of what had happened and also bring a little present by the name of Cole Mather with him.

Wufei sunk down to the ground below and sat, throwing off the gas mask that had been perched on top of his head and the gloves that he had been wearing. Quatre also removed the gas mask before sitting next to the solemn Chinese man.

"It doesn't seem right."

"What?"

"The fact that he is a higher ranking Preventer than myself or even Barton."

Quatre followed Wufei's eyes down to Heero. He had produced a clipboard and was scribbling down notes as one of the soldiers on the field pointed to different locations around the grounds and to where the building once stood as he gave his verbal report of what had happened.

"Eh, that's Heero for you… There's a reason he was 01 and all of us were below him I guess."

"That's insulting."

"Why?"

"Because that means all of you are above me," Wufei seemed to pout. Quatre let his head fall back and laughed.

"Oh come on. You know what I mean. Heero's barely a person. He's more like a machine… like the Tinman searching for a heart."

"What?" Wufei asked, not catching the reference.

"Never mind… just forget that last part. I'm going to find out where they sent the other women. It's not good for Hilde to fly right now, but I don't think she'll want to stay away from Duo."

"I'm the one that shot Dorothy," Wufei figured he better fess up now.

"Why?" Quatre's eyes grew wide.

"She was dressed as an enemy soldier. Not to mention she was 'guarding' Hilde. You can see how it would have happened."

"Yes… As long as she's not hurt."

"She didn't even scream," his voice let on his approval.

"I see. Well I will catch up with all of you later," he looked up at the other two women, "you two better come with me. Lucrezia, you need to see a doctor."

Sally, who had been looking at her leg before being spoken to, agreed with Quatre.

"Yes. X-rays will be needed, but I'm fairly certain it's broken," she said, looking down at Lucrezia's leg again.

Quatre looked back to Wufei as he stood up.

"Please send word to me when you get back to Headquarters. I would like to be updated since I'm involved in this now,"

Wufei nodded, meeting Quatre's unwavering blue eyes.

"I'm not going with you to the hospital, Quatre," Sally said, brushing her pants legs off.

"You need to be looked at," he insisted. She shook her head and closed her eyes.

"No, I need to stay here and help with the report and cleanup. I'm sure there are several Preventers down there with minor injuries that I can help with too. So you go on and take Preventer Peacecraft. I will follow Heero and Wufei back to Headquarters when we finish here."

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly, "I'll see you later then."

Lucrezia extended her arm and Quatre helped her up from her seated position on the grass and then picked her up into his arms again. She allowed it because of the pain each step brought her. He walked down to the nearest paramedic vehicle and asked them politely where the others had been sent to. The driver offered to take both of them down to the local city's hospital that Hilde and Dorothy were taken to not very long ago. Quatre helped the escort get Lucrezia strapped safely into the back and they were off, red and blue sirens blazing in the dark night to get there even faster.

**XOXOXO**

Several hours later, deep within Preventers, Milliardo Peacecraft stood menacingly over his supervisor's desk. She was barely regarding him, instead focusing on the new slew of media coverage playing out on the television set behind him. There had been a leak somewhere and now the entire free world knew that Vice Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft had been taken by terrorists, CEO Quatre Raberba Winner's mansion had been burned to the ground, countless Preventers were dead or in serious condition and now, the latest coverage, showed the blown up Diamond Delivery building on colony L-08. She felt nauseous and Milliardo's tirade, which she had been floating in and out of, consciously speaking, wasn't helping. Lady Une had yet to hear from Heero to be briefed on the situation. To her knowledge, Relena had not been found.

"Une are you listening to me at all?"

"Not particularly."

"What?"

"Preventer Peacecraft, there is nothing we can do right now," she spoke to him very matter-of-factly.

"Don't give me the formal go-around! I know this system."

"Then you already know that what we've done is all there is _to_ be done. We wait to hear back from Preventer Yuy and plan our next move according to his account."

"I don't like that you're giving him so much control over this."

"No one holds Relena's well-being closer to his heart than Heero Yuy. He was there for her long before you were, Milliardo."

"I'm not having this argument again with anyone."

"Then please do me a favor and quiet down while I see what these idiots are saying now," she told him sternly, directing her attention back to the television. Milliardo shot her yet another glare before sitting down in the chair opposite her desk. He had changed into his uniform immediately after getting back to headquarters and thrown away the bloodied clothes he had arrived in. As he had come down the hall he was greeted by salute after salute, something that had followed him a long way from OZ to here. The path he thought was the correct one long ago had taken him down a road nowhere near the ideals his and Relena's father held. That's why she was so important and also why only now that he worked alongside her, he used his real family name again. The ice cubes in Une's drink clinked together softly as she took in a long sip.

The beeping from her phone made them jolt in surprise. She sat her drink back down and answered. Milliardo bit his tongue and stayed seated. He knew from being in military operations his entire adult life that you never acted badly while the supervisor was on the telephone.

"Une here," she swept some of the hair from her shoulder gracefully.

"Une, I have a status report compiled for you from our raid on Diamond Delivery," Heero said, deadpan, into the video feed.

"Very good Preventer Yuy. And am I right to assume Ms. Peacecraft was not at the location?"

"She had been. But both she and the head of the group were gone before we could reach them."

"Any leads on where they might have gone?"

"Yes. I'm bringing some… interesting things back with me."

"Hurry Preventer Yuy. I want you to report to me in person ASAP."

"Understood. Preventer Po, Chang and myself will return to headquarters soon."

"Very good."

"Also, tell Zechs his wife is at the hospital here but being transported to the one where Preventers Maxwell and Barton are. Dorothy Catalonia and Maxwell's wife will also be sent there."

"Yes. Thank you. I will be sure to inform him."

They nodded, as was customary now for the two, and each screen went black. She let out a nearly silent, disappointed sigh before turning her head back up to Milliardo.

"Go. Check on your wife and then call to report to me. I will keep you updated on everything," she dismissed him.

"I feel it would be in everyone's best interest if I stayed here and helped to find Relena."

"No. That would be selfish of you, Preventer Peacecraft. Please go and report back to me later. You are dismissed."

He stood up quickly, but let her instructions and the tone she delivered them in sink in before he decided it would be best to go back and check on those that had been injured. Lucrezia would be upset if he didn't come and see her. So he saluted Une and she gave him a small salute back before he left.

Lady Une felt herself slipping down farther into her chair after he closed the door. Her finger pressed firmly on the mute button for the television. Though the work day was done, she was far from it. Now she would have to put together an official statement about Relena's capture. At first, before the media got their hands on the story, she figured no one would suspect foul play because of her vacationing status. Then they burned down the mansion which also lit a fire under every news station around. Each channel was doing their own '24 hour coverage' about everything. Pulling in 'experts' from every field and so on… It was ridiculous. Now they were starting to question why Preventers had not issued a statement. Cue her entrance into the circus. She pulled up a computer screen and started to piece together something to send in to each of these outlets. More than likely, she would be there at her office all night anyway, so she figured she might as well get some productive work done.

**XOXOXO**

Quatre pushed open the door to Dorothy's room. They were getting ready to discharge her so that she could leave for the hospital on earth where the others were located. She and Quatre were booked to leave on the next shuttle, which left in half an hour. Her wound was not too serious, but she was recommended to be readmitted when they arrived at the other hospital to treat the bullet wound again because of space travel. She had signed an agreement to do so and now they were wrapping her injured arm tightly and fetching clothes she could change into. There was nothing but scrubs, so she agreed to wear those.

"So, can you tell me what happened? Back at the mansion?" Quatre asked, as she changed her clothing. The middle-aged nurse that had been wrapping her arm finished up and disappeared out into the hallway again.

"There's not much to tell. The terrorists raided the shelter and knocked out each of us that tried to protect Relena. I was one of the last before her. They didn't do anything else to me except keep me locked in that dark room. When that guard came in, I took a chance and seduced him. Then I knocked him unconscious with his own gun, stole his clothing, dressed him in mine and went on my way. You all arrived soon after I did that. I wanted to find Hilde and protect her. They were heartless bastards and it wouldn't have surprised me too much if they had hurt or even killed her."

Quatre stood up and stared her in the eye then came close to her as she pulled the scrub top carefully over her head and inserted her arms into the sleeves, being especially careful with her newly wrapped one.

"That was dangerous for you to attempt."

"I had no choice. That was the only thing I could think to do to help the others."

"Since when do you care about other people? Especially these people."

"Since they became my friends. I'm nothing if not loyal to those I feel are correct."

His hands took her face and he kissed her harder than he ever had before. The tips of his fingers threaded through her golden blonde hair. A single tear threatened to creep down his cheek. His relief that she was OK was immeasurable and he recalled what he had been thinking when they were on their way to the first base to rescue Duo.

"Marry me." He said, breaking their kiss. She searched his eyes deeply before giving an answer.

"Yes," she nodded.

He locked his lips against hers again and her body pressed tightly against his. They broke again to gasp for air and she settled her head against his chest. This wasn't exactly the way she'd ever dreamt of becoming engaged, but then, she never thought she would actually get married in the first place. It always had seemed so traditional and unlike her. But now, with Quatre, it felt right. So she had agreed. Here in this hospital room, wearing a bandage on her arm and nursing scrubs and without an engagement ring, she had agreed.

"Ms. Catalonia, I hate to interrupt, but I need for you to sign these forms for me," the nurse from before knocked on the door and extended a clipboard.

"Congratulate me," Dorothy said, a half smile on her face as she signed the papers.

"Why, dear?"

"I'm engaged," she sat the pen down and handed back the clipboard.

"Oh my! Well congratulations indeed. Good luck to both of you."

**XOXOXO**

Heero, Wufei and Sally all sat near each other as they fastened their belts on the shuttle heading back to earth. Soon, everyone would be back in relatively close proximity except for Relena. The thought made his chest tighten. To try and suppress the feeling, he opened his laptop and started writing up the formal report for Lady Une. She would request it eventually, so might as well focus on that instead of other unpleasant things. Cole Mather had been placed on a special jet designed for prisoners and would probably arrive at Preventers before any of them to be put in holding until formal questioning could be done. It had become late and Heero reminded himself that he had not slept in over a day. His eyes hurt as they focused on the screen. It was his fault for not catching them sooner. She had to get captured before any leads showed up at all.

"Heero? Are you OK?" Sally asked.

"Do you really need to ask?" He said, his eyes not leaving the screen of his computer.

"No, I suppose not," she mused, resting her head against the seat cushion. Her eyes fluttered shut and for the first time in two days she felt safe enough to actually sleep.

Wufei studied her out of the corner of his eye before shifting his gaze over to Yuy. The man, as usual, was silent; fingers rapidly flying over his keypad, entering the details of the failed mission. Yes, they had rescued all of the other women and a second in command within the rebel operation, but the political figurehead and mastermind of the group that had taken her were both nowhere to be found.

He was just glad to see Sally again. The idea of her being killed had crossed his mind, but the reality of it would have been too much. Not only was she alive, she had no major injuries. He could only wonder what kind of torture they had put Relena through so far. The longer she was with them, the worse off her chances for survival were. Again, his eyes went to Heero. The lethal pilot's eyes were both bloodshot from strain and lack of sleep. If he hoped to keep going, he would need to rest. Telling him this would be impossible. So he did not venture the information. Wufei himself felt tired enough. He let his eyes close and took a few deep, even breaths before letting his mind relax and rest.

For the next hour, Heero entered in an excruciatingly detailed report. He always provided them and they were the most accurate files in Preventers, which he took a certain pride in. Once it was finished, he closed the lid of the computer. Preventer Po and Wufei had both fallen asleep. There was another hour before they docked again, so he too let his heavy eyelids close for just a little while. Unfortunately, all he could think of in the inner sanctity of his mind was Relena. He could almost hear her saying his name. Even she faded away and allowed him some much needed rest eventually though.

**XOXOXO**

She could feel his eyes on her again and soon his fingertips trailed the skin along her neck. If Heero had done that, she would have melted. However, this man was far from Heero and the action almost brought her to nausea and she jerked away from his touch. She eyed him defiantly even after all that he had done.

"I wonder how long it will take me to wipe that smug look from your face and break that little spirit of yours?" He questioned her.

"Longer than you have."

"We'll see about that. All of your assertiveness is making it difficult to stay away from you," he told her, his eyes laughing at her.

Relena swallowed, _"Not again…,"_ she prayed. He grabbed her bruised arm and pulled her over to his lap. She fought and one of her kicks actually connected with his leg. He pushed her to the ground like she was nothing to him.

"Fine pest. I will not tolerate that behavior. I was going to try to be gentle with you, but from now on when I want my way with you I suppose it will just have to be with continued force. Take her to the back," he ordered the men around her. They reached down, grabbed her arms and shoved her into a closet in the rear of the jet. Alone in the small closet, she began to shake. Her eyes dilated and grew wide as she gripped her hands around her drawn up legs.

"Heero…."

**XOXOXO**

Well, there's another chapter! I hope it was good for everyone. Please PLEASE review!

Chapter eight should be up by the end of May or the beginning of June. Only two more after that! Exciting!


	8. Interrogations

Wow, we've come a long way, haven't we? This is really cool for me because I usually go all ADD on things and don't finish them. But that isn't going to happen on this one! True, I disappeared for several months without updating at all, but I'm long past that. Two more chapters and that is IT people!

A special thank you for everyone that has reviewed.

**XOXOXO**

_**Chapter Eight: Interrogations**_

**XOXOXO**

"We welcome you back to our newscast. This has just come to our attention. We have received via email a confirmation of the Vice Foreign Minister's kidnapping. This email has come straight from none other than Lady Une herself, head of Preventer, and goes on to say that they do have a grasp on the situation. 'Everyone should take heart in the fact that soon we will find Vice Foreign Minister Peacecraft and bring her home safely.'"

"Well that doesn't sound very helpful to the public!" the overly tanned brunette man sitting next to the main anchor replied. His unnaturally white teeth gleamed almost painfully through the television set.

"The email also says that the Media will be informed of any future developments, but obviously this is a highly confidential investigation," the blonde anchorwoman dressed in a blue blazer who had made the first announcement went on to say.

"Well folks, you heard it first here on KLVT, the world's finest source for the most up to date news," the man concluded the broadcast. The screen then switched over to another older man who began going over local forecasts for the week.

Trowa flipped off the channel and on to a late night infomercial for some sort of a peeling device that was somehow revolutionary. They still hadn't found her, even after that major raid. Things were not looking to be in their favor now, but he was out of the action and didn't really know what was going on behind the scenes. The sound of Catherine's shower had stopped about ten minutes ago and he assumed that she was getting dressed in there now. Suddenly he wanted to be free of the hospital room prison and help again. Yes, he wanted to go back to the circus with Cathy, but not until all of this was over and Relena was safe. He was thinking much more clearly that evening, having come down from the pain medication given to him that day. When the nurse had offered additional pain killers that evening, he had declined and let her know he was feeling better. In actuality, his body was still sore and hurting from the gunshot wound but he knew he wanted his mind as clear as he could keep it.

Cathy opened the bathroom door and turned off the light as she softly treed back into the main room in her thick socks. She was towel drying her hair nonchalantly and yawned. He watched her silently as she tossed the wet towel into the dark bathroom and came to sit in her chair nearby him again. She had changed into a fresh set of clothes and hadn't bothered doing her make-up since it was so late. Under the fluorescent lighting, her skin seemed more pale and translucent than usual. Her eyes found the television screen and she didn't strike up a conversation like he was half-way expecting. Instead, she leaned her head back on the headrest of the seat and absentmindedly started to brush her fingers through her wet, curly hair. She had something on her mind. Her free hand drifted over to the bed and picked up the TV remote and her channel search began. But nothing seemed to be good enough to occupy her attention for long enough because soon they were right back to where she started.

"OK, what's wrong?" he finally asked, his eyes reaching to find hers.

"It's nothing."

"Cathy…,"

"OK. Well, I was just thinking while I was in the shower about if I had lost you. I have always been so protective of you. After I met you, I never wanted this life for you and all that, because I was scared of something like this. You getting hurt or killed has always frightened me. And I know that you're going to finish this whole thing before or even if you come and stay with everyone at the circus again… because as much as I might try to fight it, this is you, Trowa. The closest thing you ever got to where I wanted was when you lost your memory. But that passed just as I feared it would."

"Catherine... I appreciate the fact that you want me to be safe and that you worry about me. Growing up on battlefields, I never had that. But for now, Relena's safety is still my job. And I will do my job until I am moved again. Which is inevitably going to happen now that he's back in the picture."

"Who?"

"No one important. I will be coming to stay with you, Catherine, but first I have to help finish things here. I hope you can understand this."

"I do understand. I wish things were different, but they're not. So, I'm going to respect your decision."

"Thank you."

They both continued to watch the television in tense silence. There was nothing left to say for now. The situation was painfully clear to both of the surrogate siblings. When his duties were finished, she would be waiting for him as always with open arms. After a few moments of quiet, Trowa glanced over to see Catherine sleeping peacefully. He turned off the television, pushed the button to dim the lights behind and above him and tried to get some sleep himself. Who knew what the next few days would have in store for everyone. And with his last moments of consciousness, he stared up at the ceiling and hoped with everything inside of him that Relena was still safe. Then his eyes became unbearably heavy and he dozed off.

**XOXOXO**

Milliardo strolled absentmindedly through the hanger where his shuttle had landed to the exit doors. He stepped outside and pulled his coat tighter around him. Weather on Earth was unpredictable. It had turned a little cooler late that spring night and the ground was wet with the remnants of an earlier passing rainstorm. His foot hit a shallow puddle, dampening his pants leg as he stretched his arm to signal a cab.

Once he was settled into the backseat and the cabbie was off with a new set of directions, Milliardo felt his gaze shift to the window. He took a thoughtful breath and released it slowly. His mind didn't know where to go from here. The directions were not clear enough. He would of course check on his wife to make sure she was alright, but then… what? Relena was lost somewhere among the stars and at the whim of someone who probably had no regard for her life, only what holding her hostage could do for him. He felt something he did not like. Helpless. And with so much of this operation in Yuy's hands, he was especially uneasy. Not because he didn't think the pilot was capable. No, he had fought Heero Yuy enough times to know that this was not the case. His concern was that this was an emotional thing and he knew how Heero felt about his sister. From their last encounter on the Libra, he had no doubt. Emotions could be a bad thing for even the most skilled soldier. They could poison even the best minds and then... mistakes would be made. This didn't mean it was any less easy to swallow from a big brother point of view. Heero was dangerous, unpredictable and seemingly incapable of showing emotions. From what he had been told, though, this didn't stop the young man from fighting for Relena at all costs. It had merely stopped him from speaking his mind for a very long time.

The women in Preventers all knew of Heero's skills and did not doubt him when it came to a big mission. Une had a lot riding on his shoulders right now and had made it clear that Milliardo himself could do little but follow along. He knew that they would be interrogating a suspect and possible ally for whoever had Relena back at headquarters soon, but he would not be involved with this process because he was en route to check up on Lucrezia. He assumed he would be alerted when they moved out on any new leads.

"Sir? We're here. It'll be 32.50," the cabbie said, craning his neck to look back at the stoic blonde in his backseat.

"Here you are," Milliardo extended the fare and got out of the cab at the main entrance to the hospital he had stormed out of less than a day ago. The cab took off again behind him, kicking up a small amount of water from a puddle as it accelerated. Milliardo felt his jaw clamp shut as he started into the open automatic doors of the hospital.

He didn't like hospitals and never had. The air was too sterile, the environment too machine like for what all went on there. This seemed strange because he had practically lived most of his life around machines and had always admired their emotionless calculations. But here, unlike a hanger, people's most life changing physical events happened and you would never know it. Life was born and slipped away every hour in this cold white building. Yet the clocks continued ticking on as if nothing was happening. The hard soles of his military shoes echoed through the halls as he made his way to the elevator. All of the patient rooms were on the next floor. His face was as stony and unreadable as he could make it. None of the nurses even acknowledged him after taking a good look at his stern features and determined stride. It seemed he knew where he was off to and wasn't in the mood to speak. But when he reached the station, he stopped and eyed one of the nurses. She felt his stare on her back and turned to face him.

"Where is Lucrezia Peacecraft's room?"

"Mrs. Peacecraft is at the end of this hall. The second to last room on the right."

"Thank you," he said insincerely before heading toward the room. The nurse felt a cold shiver run down her spine as he walked away from her. The coldness in his voice had never gone away completely no matter how he had tried to reform his life.

When he opened the door to her room, she was sleeping. Her leg was suspended in the air, resting in a cast at her eye level. He could not see her face because of the angle her head had fallen at while resting. The sound of his shoes on the floor made her eyes flutter open and she moved her head to look at him. Her hair slipped away from her face and now he had a full view of the damage that had been done. His footsteps stopped dead and he merely stared at her in disbelief, even though his facial features never changed.

"I'm sure I look pretty bad. They won't let me see a mirror yet…"

"What did they do to you?"

"Doctor says broken leg and bruised cheek bones. Plus a generous shiner to go with it. I'm sure I'm a sight," she sighed, letting her fingers barely brush the ugly green and purple bruise that had formed under her bloodshot eye.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Doesn't it?" her voice was calculated and low. She fought to keep her emotion in check and not let her voice crack in front of her husband. Of course she didn't want to speak of specifics. No one that has ever been tortured would.

She turned her glassy eyes to the window. He sucked in a deep breath and went closer to her, picking up her hand as he reached the bedside.

"God only knows what they've done with Relena by now. It's not good, Milliardo. They're out for blood. They knew I'm her family and beat the sense out of me. Probably would have killed me if they could have. But honestly, I think they were using me to force her into something. That's why they took all of us. Blood bait. What they would have wanted to force her into I don't know… but it's making me sick with worry."

He found himself at a loss for words. Looking at his wife's bruised face and broken leg made the situation all the more a reality. If she was in this kind of condition, what had fate bestowed on his much smaller, untrained sister? She was not nearly as tough as his wife, and probably didn't stand a chance against any attacks they might have put her through already.

"You shouldn't waste any time here, Milliardo. I will heal but Relena is in grave danger. I just know it. I can feel it deep within me," she told him, placing her free hand over her heart and furrowing her eyebrows. Yet, tears did not come. There was no time for tears.

"For now, I will remain here with you. But as soon as I hear word from Une I will go and give Yuy and the others as much assistance as I can. And this time, I will not complain. I just want Relena back with us and safe."

He squeezed her hand tighter and her determined stare bore into his eyes, stronger than he had seen in years. Seeing that fire in her eyes again made him want to smile, but the expression did not come. It was too buried among other emotions that he was trying to hide from her.

"It's ok to say you're worried about her, Milliardo," his wife tried to console him.

"No. I will not say that," he scoffed. If he said it out loud, that would mean that she really was in the danger he knew she was in.

**XOXOXO**

Quatre and Dorothy had yet to release each other's hand. They trotted slowly towards the hospital's main entrance in the near distance, having just gotten to Earth not too long ago. Quatre had arranged for a car to be waiting for them at the shuttle dock and had driven from there, but parking was sparse this rainy evening and he had to settle for a spot in a lonely parking garage two blocks away from the hospital. The well of conversation seemed to be drier than usual for the oddly matched couple. Instead all of their feelings seemed to course between their entangled hands. Occasionally on the way over, Quatre had tucked her hair behind her ear and pecked her cheek, but little to no dialogue was exchanged. Hilde had been flown via hospital shuttle to the current location because of her condition and she would be the first to be seen. By Dorothy anyway… Quatre would seek out Trowa's room to see if his friend had healed any since the previous day.

The past few days had worn the normally patient, good natured blonde thin. His eyes were dull and circled with evidence of his exhaustion and worry. Having Dorothy back was wonderful, but this mission was not over and he was in too deep just to excuse himself now. He cared very much for Relena and wanted her to be safe and back with the people who also cared for her. But he also had a very large corporation to run and his assistants could only do so much without him there to oversee. On the way back to Earth he had been trying to take care of some business matters on top of everything else that was going on. And later, when he had a few more free moments during the daylight hours, he would have to deal with the fact that one of his homes had been burned to the ground by a terrorist group. The house that had burned was not the only one Quatre owned, but it was the one he loved the best. So many hours of his life had gone into making that house a dream home; one that he might live in permanently later in life when the time finally came to retire. It would be too much of a financial loss to try and rebuild it… so he would just take whatever the insurance company gave and try to move on. From now on when he had to come to this part of Earth for business, he would have to stay in his beach front home. It was very beautiful in its own right. The house was modern looking and had very few solid, opaque walls among the glass ones. It wasn't nearly as large as the villa was, but large enough. Its expense rivaled the other home because of the location on the private beach front. No one could ask for a better beach house. But it lacked that home-like feel of his villa… and he would miss that.

"Quatre, are you alright?" Dorothy asked, but her eyes were focused ahead of her instead of on him.

"Yes. Just thinking of all there is to do tomorrow, that's all."

They made it into the entrance and Quatre shook off the chill that had been creeping up his body from the cool air outside.

"I'm going to Trowa's room first. I will meet you in Hilde's room in a few minutes," he told her before releasing his grip on her hand. He stepped into the elevator and gave her a tired, half smile as the doors closed. She stood, staring at the steel double doors for a moment before heading towards the information desk. He had been acting more reserved then usual since their flight took off. She chalked it up to everything he had probably been through that day and the weight of everything on his mind. Likewise, she didn't feel like talking too much that evening either. So in a way, the silence had been nice. Inside, her feelings of happiness at their engagement had been shadowed by her fears. When she thought back to first meeting Relena, she nearly shivered. Her personality had been mocking and cold to the princess. Time and self reflection, especially after her encounter with Quatre on the Libra, had changed many of her view points. She, like so many others, had a change of heart after getting to know Relena and the small group of heroes both during and after the war.

"I'm looking for Hilde Maxwell. She was supposed to have arrived via hospital shuttle?"

The nurse typed a few things into the computer sitting in front of her before she responded. Her dark, wavy salt and pepper hair hung low on her shoulders and Dorothy could almost make out the reflection of the computer's screen on her glasses.

"Mrs. Maxwell is being examined in our prenatal unit on the fourth floor. Room four hundred and three,"

"Thank you."

She knocked carefully on the door before letting herself in. Hilde lay in bed, staring vacantly at the wall in front of her. A tube was stuck in her arm and she was hooked up to a fetal heart monitor. Dorothy felt herself brace for the worst.

"Hilde? Is everything alright?"

The raven haired woman turned her stare to Dorothy before nodding. Though her grey eyes stared at the blonde woman in her doorway, her thoughts were a million miles away from that room.

"Yes. They want to make sure the baby is OK and are giving me a strong dose of antibiotics along with getting me re-hydrated. After all that happened, they don't want to take any chances. I'm going to have a sonogram here in a moment. You can stay."

Dorothy felt a smile cross her lips and sat down to wait. She would finally get to see the highly anticipated baby of the Maxwell's. A child that would, undoubtedly, strike fear into the heart of Wufei Chang one day. She could hardly wait.

"Good evening, Ms. Maxwell," the sonogram technician said, wheeling her machine in. She was a short, heavy-set young woman with honey blonde hair and green eyes; probably only a little older than them. Accompanying her was another, regular nurse. She set up the machine next to Hilde and told her to raise the blanket over her abdomen. While Hilde got situated, the technician pulled up the screen on her machine and covered a fat, wand-type handle with warm jelly.

"Ok, let's see what's going on with the little one tonight," she said before pressing the wand device firmly on Hilde's stomach. It only took her a moment to see what she was looking for. She studied the image on the screen, checked the fetal heart monitor for similarity and smiled.

"It seems your baby is fine, Mrs. Maxwell. Do you know the sex?"

"No…," Hilde said, trailing off. Duo had been adamant about knowing what the sex of the baby was. But she had always wanted it to be a surprise. He went along with her decision, though he was pouty about it for quite some time afterwards.

"Would you like to know?" the woman smiled.

Hilde hesitated for only a second before giving her answer.

"Yes. I would like to know, please."

**XOXOXO**

Quatre opened the door to Trowa's room and debated on whether or not he should go in when he saw that both Trowa and Catherine were sleeping.

"Quatre, come in," Trowa told him. He sighed and realized he should have known. Trowa grew up on a battlefield and something like a door opening would almost always wake him.

"I came to see if you were doing any better."

"Yes. I feel like by the day after tomorrow I should be ready to get back to work," he said, his voice its normal cool tone.

"Don't you think that's too soon? Shouldn't you try to heal more?" Quatre said, coming to the opposite side of his bed from Cathy. Trowa's visible eye found his friend's watery blue ones. He spotted the flood of emotions and exhaustion instantly.

"No. I need to be there to help you all find Relena. Plus, we've all been wounded before and had to bounce right back. I saw that today was a blow-out."

"Not completely. We did recover the second-in-command. That part didn't make the local news because Une's keeping it confidential for now. He should already be in Preventer's Headquarters awaiting interrogation."

"The longer you hold him there, the more time the head of operations has with Relena."

"Yes, we realize that. But right now… he's our only hope of finding her. The head, so far, is just a nameless phantom to us. He has never made his presence known, but we know he exists."

"How? This 'second-in-command' could truly be the leader and might just be stringing you all along. Maybe he's already…," he didn't finish that sentence. The words just wouldn't come out.

"It is a possibility that she is already dead," Quatre said in a flat tone and his eyes never wavering, "I'm sure Une and Heero both have realized this. But I don't think so. I think that there really is someone else out there who has her and is holding out for the spotlight until later. Like when people start to panic over the fact that we haven't found her. People are morally vulnerable without an influence and if the good one is gone and there is only bad to listen to, then they might go along with anything…,"

"Quatre, out of all you ex-pilots, I would expect a little more faith in humanity from you," Catherine said, her eyes slowly opening, boring into his soul. He felt himself take a deep breath.

"I have almost lost my faith in humanity many times. I hope that they can stand up for themselves when it comes to doing the right things. Believe me, Catherine, I hope with everything in my heart that what Dorothy used to say is not true."

"Don't worry, Quatre," Trowa soothed, "we'll bring back their good influence before the evil one ever gets a chance to be an option."

"Yes. I fear that's the only way."

"Are the others OK? I know you got the girls out… but how bad is everyone?" Catherine asked softly.

"Lucrezia is the worst off. Everyone else just has minor injuries. And except for Sally, who decided to go back with Heero and Wufei, they've all been brought back to this hospital so I can assume that you will see them soon."

"I am certain that they will keep you informed, Quatre. I need for you to update me as well until I get out of here."

"Yes, of course. If you plan on re-joining the mission in a few days, then I will brief you as soon as I know anything further until then. You should speak with Une as soon as possible and let her know as well."

Cathy felt herself start to object to Trowa, but held her tongue. Instead of voicing her opposition of Trowa trying to rush his recovery, she leaned back in her chair and turned her eyes away from the two young men who always seemed to find each other. They were the closest two in the group of five. Quatre had become like another brother to her. Before he had gotten so absorbed into his business world, he used to come to the circus all of the time to visit Trowa. This was before everything changed. Trowa became more independent of her and joined Preventers then she hardly saw Quatre because of his new responsibilities. A small yawn escaped and Quatre was quick to take note of it.

"I should go. You both need your sleep. I will come back in the morning," he smiled.

"Goodnight, Quatre. Try and sleep yourself. You look worse than me," Trowa told him, his eyes smiling.

"Goodnight."

After Quatre left, Catherine stood and shifted the blankets on Trowa's bed for him then reached behind his bed and dimmed the light again. She let her hand rest on his shoulder in comfort for a moment before settling back into her chair for the night.

"Goodnight, Cathy."

"Night, Trowa."

**XOXOXO**

The tapping pencil was about to be the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. It seemed to pound into his ears and he could feel his eye start to involuntarily twitch in severe annoyance.

"Yuy? Any ideas yet? What's wrong? Your face looks odd," Une noted, still rapping her pencil absentmindedly on her desk out of otherwise unseen nervousness.

"Une, you have to stop that or else I'm going to break it in half."

"What in the world do you mean…," she started, then realized what he meant and sat the pencil down and leaned back into her chair. Her hand came to her face and pushed some loose hair away from her eyes.

"We need to question him personally," Heero told her after his temper had cooled.

"I've had my best agents in there all night and can't get a thing out of him, Yuy. Putting you in there is a liability because you're likely to kill him right now. Let's see if they can get anything in the next few hours while you get some rest. Then, if nothing comes up, we can send you in there to try."

"We're wasting valuable time. Let me in tonight," he slammed his fist on her desk. She leaned forward and made sure that she was looking him in the eyes.

"Listen, Heero. I realize that this is not an ideal situation, but what makes it less ideal is that one of my top agents and head of this operation is dead on his feet. You have had a long day. Rest tonight and we will continue interrogations here in the mean time. With any luck, you won't even need a turn in that room."

"Fine. I'll sleep tonight. You should sleep too. And enjoy it because, as I think you know, where ever Relena is tonight… she's not getting to. That is, if she's even still alive now."

"Enough. I will see you first thing tomorrow Agent Yuy. You are dismissed for the evening."

They held a silent battle of the wills with their eyes before Heero finally stood and made his way to the door. When it shut behind him, she held both hands over her face in attempt to stop the scream rising within her chest that wanted so badly to leave her throat and resonate through the office.

Nothing. Until this man let ANYTHING slip, they had nothing. She was fully aware of the road they were about to have to go down. It seemed unavoidable. Heero would have to go in after her other men had kept the man awake and worn down then she would be forced to turn a blind eye as he went about getting information his own way. Official rules were to treat suspects under interrogation with civility. But, as the Head of Preventers, she would deem his way acceptable under the circumstances should anyone notice her ignoring whatever Heero was doing to the suspect.

She picked up the phone next to her, opting not to use the screen.

"How is it going down there?" She asked, somehow already knowing the answer to her own question.

"_Not good, Lady Une. We can't get anything from him,"_

"Keep trying. If nothing else, just wear him down as best you can and keep him awake. He will get no rest tonight and by tomorrow, if he continues to stay silent, then I have someone that might make him want to talk,"

"_Yes ma'am." _

She hung up the line and realized that Yuy would almost certainly have to beat this man into a pulp and even that might not get the answers they so desperately needed.

As Heero walked through the building, his anger grew ten-fold. This 'wait and see' attitude had never been his strength. He wanted to take matters into his own hands right now. He had finally, after so many wasted years of his life, told Relena exactly what he wanted to say and the next day she was gone. Taken from a safe place to God only knew where. He wanted to take out his rage on anything that would withstand it. Maybe he could find Wufei and get him to spar down in the training room? The thought played in his mind for only a moment before he shook his head and disagreed with himself. As much as he hated it, he would just have to sit back and play the game this mad man would spin for them. Since he had taken on this new position and been forced to leave Relena's side, his life had been very empty. All companionship that he had somehow gotten used to was stripped away and once more, he became the loner he had grown up as. But this time was different because now he knew what it was like to have people that cared if he lived or died around. And he knew how it felt to love, rather than to just hate. Most of all… he knew what it felt like to BE loved. And he didn't want to give that up. He would fight to keep it until the day he died.

As he stepped onto the elevator and felt it begin its eerily quiet decent, he knew that once this was over he would have to demand his old job back. Maybe Trowa would take his current position and Wufei could go back to being Sally Po's partner. The point was things had to change somehow. It was foolish to think that this would make Relena quit though he was sure that's what many, including those close to her, would want. He imagined that Milliardo had already drafted her resignation letter and it was just waiting now for her official signature. His car pulled from the parking garage and he began to make his way to his apartment. It wasn't much, just a small one bedroom dwelling about ten minutes from headquarters. Five minutes if he sped. It was merely somewhere he could sleep, eat and bathe. That's all he needed. Not a home, just a place to rest his head for a few hours each night. It was sparsely decorated and looked like he was still moving in even though he had been there for nearly a year. He parked his non-descript, black car along the curb in front of the small, run-down looking building. Turning the lock in the front door he had nearly gotten in when he heard a voice.

"Heero! Wait, please don't close the door!"

It was Lonnie; a young woman with dull black hair, green eyes and olive colored skin that also lived in the building. He didn't socialize too much, but he had assisted Lonnie in the past and fixed a thing or two around her apartment because she had begged for his help. The apartment manager was a loser who didn't give a shit about his tenants. He knew they were replaceable and that many people would love to live so close to the big city for such low rent, compared to the market rates. She slowed her running pace as she reached the stoop. Her stick thin arms were loaded with paper bags full of groceries.

"Thank you, Heero," she gasped as she walked through the door.

"No problem," he told her, stuffing his fists into his pockets and beginning the ascent up the stairs to his door.

"Um, Heero? Can I ask one more favor? Could you please open my door for me?"

He tried not to let his grumbling be heard by his meek neighbor as he came back down and asked for her keys.

"They're in my purse," she nodded her head down to indicate the bag hanging from the crook of her left arm. He reached his hand in and pulled out a large key chain.

"It's the one with the pink plastic cover over the bottom," she instructed, starting to fumble with the heavy bags.

He found the key and turned it in her deadbolt. Following her inside to help set down one of the bags since he had stuck around that long, his eyes did an involuntary scan of the room. It seemed clear of any danger. She set her bags down on the countertop.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"No, thanks Heero."

Each time he saw Lonnie, her appearance worried him. She was very thin and her eyes and hair were dulled beyond her years. She seemed to spook easily and he wondered if she was able to feed herself well enough. He didn't know what kind of job she had, but obviously she had something because she was managing to pay rent there. When he went some time without seeing her though, then it wasn't normally something that crossed his thoughts.

"You sure?" he asked once more. After that he was done and would retreat to bed. It was about this time it struck him that she had a larger than normal amount of prescription drug bottles scattered around the apartment. Could she be sick? Maybe that was why she was so thin and… depressed looking.

"No…," her eyes turned downward, hiding her sadness from him, "thank you, though."

"Don't do anything stupid, Lonnie," he told her, closing the door firmly behind him. He had realized that it was also possible that she didn't need the pills for any illness, but maybe she needed them out of habit.

She stared at the door after he had left, fighting back tears.

"I'll try," she whispered to the closed door.

Heero entered his apartment and shed his brown leather jacket into a small, beige chair near the door before locking up behind him. After he had brushed his teeth, he let his tired body fall to the mattress that was tucked in the corner of his small bedroom. It had never been a comfortable bed, covered in a few pale white sheets and one pillow, but that night it felt fantastic. The soft, nearly blue light from a streetlight seeped through the ancient blinds that hid the window and kept the room from ever being totally dark. It hit him that he hadn't slept well since the night before the first raid. When he and Relena were seated together on the couch and she was telling him to be careful. He could almost feel her lying with him at that point. As much as he wanted to hold on to his thoughts of her, his brain began pushing everything away as it fought desperately for a break. He finally complied and drifted off into a heavier than normal sleep.

**XOXOXO**

"Go home. Get some rest. This will be here tomorrow," Sally told him sternly.

"No. I'm not leaving yet. It's you that should be resting now," he told her, not looking up from the paperwork laid out in front of him on his desk.

Sprawled before them was everything that could be found on Hale Mather in hard copy form. They were searching for anything that would tie him to someone else; someone else who was possibly his superior and would be the one who would ultimately have Relena. Since he still wasn't talking, this was the next best thing.

"No… not yet," Sally commented.

Her head and body ached, telling her that she greatly needed rest. But she fought it, knowing she had to continue on and assist Wufei as much as possible. He had gotten these documents from the file Heero put together for Une regarding their search and seizure earlier that day. It was very detailed and left nothing of any importance out. Unfortunately, all of the information on Mather was limited.

Wufei was staring at the documents in front of him and he knew concentration was vital in catching anything suspicious, but his mind held onto an image he couldn't shake, despite everything inside of him. The recent memory of him and Relena, sitting on the bench at Quatre's mansion in the warmth of the sun out in the gardens was clogging up his thoughts. Somehow, even after being by her side for years, he had never felt closer to the woman than right then. He knew what he should be focusing on, yet he couldn't stop thinking about her watching those little birds and seeming so at peace. At peace with the whole world around her… a feeling he couldn't even remember experiencing.

"Wufei?"

Sally's call to him interrupted his thoughts and he could nearly feel his eyes un-glaze as the wording of the sheet of paper in front of him came slowly into sharp focus along with a printed out photo of Mather from his days with OZ.

"What?"

"Is everything ok?"

"Yes. It's fine… There's nothing new here. And it's late. We should both be going," he leaned back and rubbed his eyes in frustration.

"I agree. It's been a long day and we both could use some rest."

They began to straighten up the desk they were working at when they reached for the same sheet of paper between them. Wufei's hand landed on hers and neither of them seemed to breathe for a moment. He slowly relinquished his hand and mumbled an apology. She felt a faint blush rise in her cheeks and stumbled out an apology of her own. They were suddenly quiet and she felt her eyes go from the table to his before a small grin crossed her mouth and her eyes softened.

"I'm obviously very tired. Goodnight, Wufei," she offered, before getting up and leaving the office. He had noticed the blush still in her cheeks before she exited. Outside the door, she leaned against the wall for a moment and took a deep breath, feeling like she handled that well enough. He would hopefully believe what she had said about being tired. She was a grown woman and didn't need to act like a flirty teenager. It had been a moment of weakness, she assured herself. Feeling better about what happened, she took a moderate walking pace towards the elevators.

Back in the office Wufei nearly cursed himself aloud, instead of in his head, for being so much like Yuy. He and Sally had been stumbling around in relationship purgatory for what felt like forever. Somehow it never seemed like the right time to come clean though. He leaned back in his chair temporarily before finishing cleaning off the desk. This, again, was not the right time to think about his and Sally's "relationship." In high stress situations, distractions were highly desirable because they seemed to lessen the burden. Unfortunately, distractions could give way to disastrous results. He switched off the main light and headed towards the elevator that went directly down into the underground garage. From there he would take his thirty minute commute home and get a few hours sleep before everything started again.

**XOXOXO**

Sometimes the oddest thoughts crept into her mind. Like education for instance. Why hadn't she gone to college? She was smart. Very smart and yet she just slid right into politics. Why? Shouldn't she have slowed down and tried to have a life first? Maybe she had more life than she deserved up until the wars began. Many would kill for her upbringing. Prestigious private schools, doting parents and a wealthy, happy household. There was nothing more she could have asked for. And yet she held regrets. The 'what ifs?' haunted her when she was the least prepared for them. What if her father hadn't been killed that day? What if Heero Yuy hadn't grown up the way he had and never had to fight in the wars? Would they still have met? Would they be the same people in their hearts? Sometimes she would allow herself to imagine a 'perfect world' in which her father was still living, she had her mother, brother and Noin around her, she had gotten to go to college and married Heero. They would have a family in the works by now. Unfortunately, there was no such world. Time had taught her that life has an odd way of making it clear that things happen for a reason... Therefore, all of this must be happening for a reason. Maybe one day, if she survived, she would know that reason and it would seem worth it.

She didn't know if it was day or night back on Earth. The overwhelming ache in her right leg was preoccupying her thoughts more than she could bare. This seemingly ruthless captor had kept her locked in a tiny empty room for hours. Her tear had run dry and now all she could do was strain to keep her eyes open. She would not let herself sleep even though her body was desperate. Her head was pounding again from the injury she had sustained at the beginning of all this and her vision had gone fuzzy yet again. Things were not coming into focus as they should. She held her hand in front of her face and, with assistance from the trace amount of light seeping in from under the door, she tried to focus on the lines in her hand. It's like they weren't even there. A heavy sigh escaped from her lips and she let her hand fall to her side again. Relena was positive that the abuse would not stop any time soon. Syrus had already expressed his intentions of keeping her with him as long as possible before revealing himself to the masses. She was genuinely worried about her friends... and the people of Earth and Space. Several times he had mentioned Heero, which she did not find all that strange. He was documented in Preventer records and had been her bodyguard for a long time. Plus if he had been following her even relatively closely over the past several years he would be able to make his own assumptions of their relationship. He had also expressed his intentions of breaking her sprit as best he could before Heero arrived. Again, she made assumptions about this. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to stay positive when hope was fading so quickly. She could almost feel the gray color her skin had probably turned from the blood loss. Her eyes were heavy and tired; face and body bruised, broken and violated. She hated the fact that she could not fight him or his men off better. She had fought them tooth and nail when they got off the shuttle. In fact, thanks to a well timed bite of all things she nearly broke free. But she was so tired and weak, they caught her. When they had arrived wherever they were currently, the men were instructed to make sure she would not try to run away again. Now, she was almost certain her leg was broken. Their methods left her shaking. She had lost her stomach twice during the process. At this, they laughed and mocked her relentlessly before throwing her into the room. Relena had become a helpless victim. It was a role she could not stand. And this captor had no intentions of treating her diplomatically, as it had already been shown. He was like none other she had dealt with, and that frightened her greatly. Deep down, she did not expect to leave this place in anything but a body bag. The thoughts that kept her from total despair were of Heero. At least she could die knowing that he really did love her. If he did make it to where she was, maybe she would live long enough to see him once more. She would do everything she could to make it that long.

**XOXOXO**

His hard eyes stared beyond the glass that separated him from Space. Past that thick protective layer of glass stood a void that he envied, full of nothing but lifeless stars. It held nothing. No life, no pain, no fear... it was empty. He could remember a time when life had meaning. A time, long ago, when he had hopes and dreams... It had been stripped from him. Everything was suddenly gone. He had been robbed of his life. Now he was full of nothing but bitterness and hate. He felt his eye twitch and unglued his focus from the starry space that surrounded them. He laid down the picture that had triggered all of this. It was not the time for thoughts such as those. No, not when revenge was so close at hand could he dwell on beginnings and endings. He would soon take away all of her possessions, memories and ties to normal life. Then... once everyone thought she was as good as dead... he would have his revenge.

Everything was coming together quite smoothly and this pleased him greatly. Soon his entrance could be made and the show could go on. But not yet. He would let his little, well-trained puppet sit in their jail cell, waiting until the time was right. Plus, the stage was still being built for the final act of this play he had concocted. It would be brilliant and he could not suppress a grin at his achievements. The girl would be kept alive, just barely, until the troops arrived. He predicted anywhere from one small unit to two or three small clusters. He could have his men pick them apart easily. It was no secret who would be coming for him and he was planning accordingly. Yes, he knew exactly who would show up for a confrontation and he also knew not to underestimate any of them, although one of them was surely dead by now. They were a dangerous lot indeed, but he had the prize in his possession and not one of them would risk that. He held the Ace and best of all, her life was completely meaningless to him. She was nothing but a doll to him. Her soul, essence and past was unimportant to him. At this point after years of detailed work behind the scenes, he knew everything about her. In the past, she had been able to sweet talk her way out of a lot of bad situations. Soon... soon she would learn that everything could not be handled diplomatically and through words. Some things were more important, and more importantly some people were too far gone, to care for petty chit-chatting. He knew his motives very well and did not need her to analyze him nor his problems.

Spread beneath his fingertips were monitors. Dozens of images flickered from under the glass table top. The feeds were being displayed right in front of him so he could constantly survey every inch of the entire complex. His electronic eyes could vigilantly let him watch and wait for the coming assault. Standing, he went to the wet bar across the room and poured himself a strong drink over a few cubes of ice. The smirk he wore gave away his excitement for the coming days. Eventually the grin burst open with a hearty laugh. Yes, this was a good day for General Syrus Parker. And, if all went accordingly, it could only get better.

**XOXOXO**

At the first light of dawn, Heero was already standing under the rush of hot water coming from his shower faucet. It was like he was in a trance as the water pounded into his chest. Splashing the water onto his face, he tried to snap out of it. He couldn't stop thinking about Relena. It was not worry, it was fear of the unknown. And Heero Yuy did not handle that well at all. Especially when it came to her. He had worked too hard over the years to protect her. Memories of their youth kept playing over and over in his mind like a reel of home movies. He desperately wanted to stop the tape, but could not find the 'off' button. So he was stuck... with them dancing together at her birthday party, protecting her for the first time and not knowing why, the many times he had screwed up along the lines, their time together on the Libra... They looped and meshed together to the point he wanted to scream. His eyes lost focus and he wondered if she was still OK. His eyes stared straight ahead and he dipped his head under the faucet to rinse the last of the shampoo from his scalp.

By the time he had dressed in his plain black t-shirt, Preventer jacket and dark jeans his mind had a new focus. Getting information. His feet barely made contact with the stairs as he began his decent to get to his car. The soft leather boots he wore had never made any noise, which was good as it was only about six by this time and he didn't want to wake anyone. Once he was on his way to HQ, his fingers dialed Une's private line on his cell.

_"Une here."_

"He didn't break, did he."

_"No. But you already knew that. My men drilled him and made sure he stayed awake all night. So that might help you get what we need."_

"Maybe. But a highly trained soldier can function on very little sleep."

_"You would know about that, wouldn't you?"_ The sarcasm in her voice was thick.

"As a matter of fact, I would. But I doubt he's better at this game than me. Now that I've slept a few hours I could play for days."

_"Don't worry about reporting to me when you arrive. Just go straight there. I will leave this to you. The prisoner is located in holding cell 'R.' Oh, and Yuy...,"_

"Yes?"

_"I will not require a report on this interrogation."_

She hung up and he felt a slight grin. Permission had just been granted to do as he saw fit. Perfect.

By the time he reached his destination, he was good and riled up. It was time to get some answers and he was determined, no matter how long it took to break this guy, that he would indeed get them.

"Leave. No report is to be documented on this," he informed the two guards at the holding room. He did so without looking either one of them in the eye. But then, he didn't have to. Both of them were aware of Preventer Yuy being assigned and were more than happy to leave while he did his job. Une had pulled in the heavy artillery, so that meant that things were a little worse off than they had figured. They gave him a firm, 'yes sir!' before leaving their post to resume other duties.

Heero steadied himself, careful to hide any emotions. At their last meeting he had been careless and let Hale get to him. But not this time. This time he was prepared for his enemy. He ran his clearance card through the slot next to the door, a green light appeared above and it swished open with the sound of a buzzer.

"So we meet again, Heero Yuy," Mather hissed.

Heero sat at the chair across from him. He folded his arms across his chest.

"Not one for words, huh? You'll find that I'm not either," he grinned.

"Funny. You seem to be proving the opposite of that."

"I might say a lot, but none of them will be helpful to you. I have my orders, Yuy. And I've dealt with worse than the likes of you through my years," his condescending tone was amusing to Heero. In fact, he couldn't help but smile at this.

"We'll see about that."

This brought the look Heero had been aiming for. Confusion from the battered soldier sitting parallel to him.

When neither of them spoke for several minutes, Hale began to see their plan. He hadn't had anything to eat or drink since before he arrived. Not to mention they had been constantly interrogating him from the moment he arrived and not let him get any sleep. And when it became deafeningly quiet, he realized the room was stark white and completely soundproof. They were trying to get to him on several different levels. He was good, but also only human. Rumor had it that this Yuy wasn't even that. He wondered who could survive longer. Suddenly he wished General Parker hadn't given him such a long wait.

"So Mather... I'm going to start this slowly so it can sink in. You will not eat, drink, have a bathroom to use or be allowed to sleep until you tell me what I want to hear. And it had damn well be the truth or so help you... I will be with you until you break. You will get a chance to rest from all this. The average man can only last a few days like this. I give you five, tops. Personally, I get to rest, eat, drink and use the facilities as I please. So I'm saying that favor will lay in my court, eh? So you can play this my way or the hard way. But I'm sure I already know the answer to that. For the Hell of it, though, I'm going to ask you anyway. What is the name of your leader? And where is located at this time?"

"Don't you wish to know Relena Peacecraft's location?"

"You cannot fool me. I know very well that when we find him, we will certainly find her as well."

"I hope you're wrong about me lasting five days. If I do... well, you won't be seeing Ms. Peacecraft again. Alive anyway."

"That's fine. I want to know the leader's location. If Ms. Peacecraft is alive when we find him, so be it."

That was not the answer Hale was expecting. But made sense. He was trying to play cool.

"You can play that card with me, Yuy. That's fine. But I'm not talking. I'll die first."

"Yes you will."

**XOXOXO**

Hilde sat patiently at Duo's bedside. He had been breathing on his own for some time now, but still hadn't waken up. This worried her. She ran her hand over his face in a soothing motion, expecting something... anything from her battered husband.

"I'm here, Duo. Please wake up," she asked of him, again...

Seeing him like that was the worst. She had seen him beaten up before, as he had seen her. But it was never like this. Her hands nervously rubbed her swollen abdomen. At least she was here beside him. The last time she had seen him was at Quatre's mansion... on that horrible video tape. The images of him being shot right in front of her eyes were burned into her memory. She brushed away a tear from her eye just thinking about it all again.

"Hilde, can I get you anything to eat?" Dorothy whispered from across the room. She had been sitting up with her all night long. Quatre had left before dawn to get back to his office for just a day while the interrogation went on. Now that the sun had risen, she figured the cafeteria might be open.

"No...,"

"Don't be stupid. You haven't put anything in your stomach in a long time. It's not good for the baby. I'll be back in just a few minutes, OK?"

Hilde reluctantly smiled and thanked her. When Dorothy had disappeared from the room, Hilde bent her frame over the bed to kiss Duo's cheek. She rested her forehead against the side of his face and fought back more tears. The steady blipping of the machines attached to him somehow managed to relax her.

"Babe?" his voice cracked. Her eyes jerked open as she sat straight up and looked down at him.

"Duo!"

Slowly his eyes peeked open, then flinched at the sunlight coursing through the shades.

"Hey babe... what'd I miss?" he gave a half smile.

"Oh Duo..," she couldn't help the tears now. But at least they had turned to tears of joy, "I thought I was going to lose you!"

"Nah... you're stuck with me, I'm afraid. I'm not going anywhere. I wouldn't miss being around for this little one for the world."

"I wouldn't want it any other way. And I doubt your son would either," she smiled.

"My... son?" he whispered, eying her belly. She couldn't suppress her smile. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her close so he could lay his face on her abdomen.

He could hardly believe it. A son... Suddenly, life seemed OK again and the pain was forgotten. There was only him, his wife and his son. Nothing else mattered in that moment. Unfortunately it was shattered as Dorothy came running into the room. She handed Hilde a small box of cereal, a carton of milk and a banana.

"Duo! You're awake! Well... good. You should see this too."

"What's going on?" Hilde asked, still locked in Duo's protective embrace. Even in a hospital bed in a Trauma Center, he made her feel like nothing could touch her.

"Look," Dorothy told them, turning the television to the news station.

"-the case of reported arson at the mansion of the Vice Foreign Minister Peacecraft is under continued investigation. An anonymous email message came to us and all news stations just after the fire was reported. It read, simply, 'she won't be needing this anymore.' Please stay with us as we try to put together how this affects the ongoing search for the Vice Foreign Minister."

They ended the broadcast by showing helicopter images of the charred remains of Relena's once beautiful home.

**XOXOXO**

OK! So that wraps this one up (finally!). You have no idea how long this took to get ready. In fact, I'm sure there are some errors in here... but I just tried to finish and have it up quickly. If I see any that are blatant over the next 24 hours, I'll fix them and re-load the chapter.

Anywho! Please enjoy and PLEASE leave a review. We're getting very close to the end here folks. Just a little more.


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